I Love Loonies and Toonies

“Faith is the currency for miracles.” – Os Hillman

Back in my prison ministry days, I accompanied one of our touring softball teams on an 8-day trip through New York, Vermont, and Canada. Once we crossed the border into our “neighbor to the north,” one of the first things I did was exchange some of my American money for Canadian currency.

Canadian paper money is much more colorful than U.S. dollars. However, my favorite Canadian money is their one and two-dollar coins. Since the one-dollar coin features a picture of a loon, a type of waterfowl, it is commonly called a “loonie.” The two-dollar coin is bi-metallic and is referred to as a “toonie.”

Prior to 2012, toonies had an aluminum bronze inner core surrounded by a pure nickel ring. Newer toonies have the same aluminum bronze inner core, but it is coated with multi-ply plated brass. The outer ring is now steel coated with multi-ply plated nickel. A polar bear is depicted on one side of the toonie and King Charles III is on the other.

However, loonies and toonies won’t get you very far in Europe. Twenty of the 27 countries that are part of the European Union use euros as their sole form of currency. Five eastern European countries – Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Romania – along with Sweden joined the EU after the euro was introduced in 2002, but they are expected to adopt it in the near future. One EU member, Denmark, has opted to retain its own national currency.

And then there is cryptocurrency, which I am highly skeptical of, but which has made some people multi-millionaires.

As Os Hillman pointed out in today’s quote, the only earthly currency that God recognizes is FAITH. It is also what moves spiritual mountains here on earth (see Matthew 17:20).

Likewise, if you try to pay your way into heaven with euros, loonies, toonies, or even cryptocurrency, you will be stopped in your tracks at the pearly gates. God’s grace and true repentance coupled with personal faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning blood is the only key that unlocks heaven’s door (see Ephesians 2:8-9).

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:9 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President