One-sided Coins Have No Value
At least I think they don’t. I haven’t tried paying with one, but I’m pretty confident it wouldn’t be accepted. Granted, with the world become increasingly cash-less, neither will two-sided coins in the not-too-distant future. Even gas station convenience stores have abandoned the “Need-a-penny, take-a-penny / Have-a-penny, leave-a-penny” cups by the cash register. Value-less one-sided coins applies to spiritual things as well.
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, he said it was actually two (or one commandment in two parts). Love God and love your neighbor. Two sides of the same commandment coin. There is no spiritual value without them both. To love God is, in fact, to love others. It is impossible, even, to truly love God without turning outward in love toward those around us.
Examples of this both pre-date and post-date Jesus. Isaiah said in the Old Testament, “…You fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist” (Isaiah 58:4). (My paraphrase: “You confess your love for God during worship, only to turn on your neighbor in violence when worship is over”). And the Letter of James put it this way: “With the tongue, we both bless the Lord, and with it we curse those who are made in the image of God” (James 3:9).
Many well-meaning Christians, in pursuit of the first part, have forgotten the B side. In their efforts to love God, they have not loved their neighbor. Which begs the question – based on Jesus’ teaching – “How authentic is our love of God, if it is not accompanied by a love of others?” Our love of God will forever be incomplete until we are willing to love others with the same desire and intensity with which we love God. Without an authentic love of others, our love of God simply won’t make sense (cents?).
Blessings – Michael