In God We Trust

I am writing this on the day that the House of Representatives voted 228 to 205 to defeat the bill proposing the 700 billion dollar emergency rescue (bailout) of the nation’s financial industry. The stock market responded to this news with a 777 point decline.

There are many people across the country and in Illinois who are hurting in the wake of this news.  Jobs are lost.  More homes are foreclosed.  Businesses, large and small, are declaring bankruptcy, pensions are threatened, and much more.  Several communities across the territory I serve as bishop, Northern Illinois, are struggling, notably Galesburg, Rockford, Freeport, and others. This is a scary time for all of us.  

Hopefully by the time you read this, there will be a plan approved by Congress that will address these complicated issues.  I doubt there will be a quick fix; it took years to get us into this mess, and it will probably take a long time to get us out again.

I think Americans will need to respond to this economic crisis with a change in lifestyle.  This will call for more frugality, simplicity, prudence, and generally good stewardship of what God has entrusted to us. I do believe the economy will recover because of the resourcefulness, ingenuity, and character of the American people.
But here is the point: when all is said and done, where are we going to put our trust?  Should we put our trust in the stock market?  Should we put our trust in our elected officials?  Should we put our trust in an economic system?  No, as Christians, we put our trust in God. 

We believe that God does and will provide for our daily needs.  We recognize that compared to most of the world, even in an economic crisis, we are wealthy.  And we are reminded of the words of Scripture:  “to whom much is given, much shall be required,” so we respond to God’s graciousness with continued generosity.

In Matthew 6, Jesus puts into perspective what this all means to the person of faith:  
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Let us seek first God’s kingdom. 

In Christ,

Bishop Gary Wollersheim

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