Both Sides of the Coin

“Your theology & your life are two sides of the same coin.”

You may not agree with this statement but it is one that has become clearer and clearer to me over the years. Now I’m not talking about what you think your theology is or should be. I’m talking about what is really is - and that often isn’t what we think.

I have said before on this blog that our bank account shows what is really important to us. For example, mine shows regular payments to a gym. Now that could mean one if any number of things: that I find the gym fun, that I am responsible for keeping my body is tiptop shape, that my mobility is important to chase kids, go shopping, volunteer at a shelter, etc., etc. Whatever's the reason, it reflects my theology. Where does my disposable income go? Is it spent on eating out, on entertainment? Is it spent on books? Or perhaps on the latest digital toy or the newest fashion? Is it used to make the world a more just and equitable place? And if it is, just how much?

The answers to these questions give us a clear picture of just what is important in our lives, and hence just what our theology says is important. If I said that what is going on in Syria is so awful, I just don’t listen to the news. I am again making a statement about my theology, about what my theology calls me to do and to be.

Climate change is upon us. How I respond to this again indicates my theology. If I believe that what happens is preordained, or that to be saved, I just need to say the right words and believe the right thing, then I won’t be very interested at all in saving the planet. But if instead I believe that we are all responsible for the mess it is in now and so also responsible for cleaning it up, then a very different story unfolds, a story of caring for the life of this planet and all the living things on it.

Do you believe that all you are and all you have is a gift? Or do you believe that it belongs to you to do with as you will? I suspect we are all somewhere in the space between those two ideals, maybe one day swinging one way and the next day, the other. It is good to pause from time to time, to look at your bank account and at your calendar, and ask the question, “What does my theology consider to be important? Where does my money go? On what activities do I spend my time?”

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