COMMENTARY: Trusting God in troubled times

  • Published
  • By Chaplain Lt. Col. Craig Rogers
  • 419th Fighter Wing
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, UT --  Times of economic uncertainty in the world have been devastating for many. Because of these uncertainties, some may have a hard time gaining hope for a bright future. While we hope for a speedy recovery from our economic conditions, may we continue to put our hope and trust in our creator and our God. 

Financial difficulties in our country's past have brought us to re-evaluate that which is most important to us. It was during one of these difficult times that the motto "In God We Trust" was first put on our currency. Prompted by letters during the Civil War urging recognition of God's providence, Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase asked Congress to pass a law that changed the design of the two-cent piece to include the motto "In God We Trust." The law was passed in April 1864, and the motto was eventually included on all U.S. coins and bills. 

This motto was renewed again during the Great Depression. In March 1931, Congress proclaimed "The Star-Spangled Banner" our national anthem - more than a century after Francis Scott Keys penned it. The fourth stanza of the song, which was originally a poem titled "The Defence of Fort McHenry," reads: 

O, thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us as a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! 

As we reflect on difficult times in our nation's history, may we recognize the hope and trust in God that our forefathers had. May we be preserved and strengthened as a nation. Many have given their all to preserve our nation and many continue to stand up and defend these values. 

My hope is that we will all remember to allow our trust in God to guide us to our individual victories and to the victories of our nation as we battle economic troubles and the Global War on Terrorism. Regardless of our religious orientation, we may proudly fly the flag of freedom and give praise to the power that made and preserved us as a nation.