Common Currency of Christianity

What are the benefits of using money? It is a common medium of exchange; we have in "common" that we accept and give money for the things we want. It is hard enough to think of non-money Christmas gifts to give to family; I can't imagine having to think about what the grocery store owner would like every week in exchange for our groceries.

Another benefit of money is that it is a common measuring unit. If last year the economy was measured in salt, and this year was measured in cashews, we would have a hard time comparing. It would be similarly problematic if the cost of a an investment was measured in blogs and the ending profit was measured in cups of sugar. Comparisons with a common unit help with analyzing the costs and benefits of various economic policies.

Is there a common currency that various religions might use, to help with communication and measuring progress? I will go through a few things that many Christians have in common and how those things help as a medium of exchange and as a measure of success.

Christmas
Christmas is loved by most in the United States, even by some who are not Christian. We can exchange Christmas notes, gifts, and embraces that show Christlike love to a wide variety of people.

To measure how we are doing, we can look at how society does at remembering Jesus Christ during Christmas. If we find that most of our Christmas to-dos and decorations are not related to Christ, this could be an indicator that we need to change course.

The 10 Commandments
Most Christians (and Jews) are familiar with at least the existence of the 10 Commandments. Perhaps in our conversational exchanges with those of other Christian or Jewish faiths we could mention blessings we have seen from honoring our parents, keeping the Sabbath Day holy, avoiding envy, etc.

We can help our kids see how they are measuring up to their potential by complimenting them on how well they are living the 10 Commandments ("good job honoring me by sleeping the whole night through!"). Maybe thinking of the 10 Commandments can add some spice to the compliments we give children when all we can think about is how utterly cute they are.

Death
Death is a tragedy that causes people of many faiths to come together and offer support. While we cannot understand what our friend's unique grief is like, we can use our common hope, and sometimes fear, regarding death to motivate us to truly "mourn with those who mourn." We can ask questions about the special person who passed away and listen to our grieving friend share whatever they are feeling. If asked by somebody who is grieving, we might share how our faith in Jesus Christ has helped us deal with death.

Death is sometimes mentioned in the scriptures to remind us that this life is not the only thing to consider as we make decisions. Death can remind us that "all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." Thinking about this often causes me to measure how well I am doing in my preparation to meet God.

The Golden Rule
Many religions have the same principle taught by Jesus: "whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." In all of our exchanges or interactions, we can trust that if we try to treat others as we would be treated, our relationships will be blessed.

As we balance busy schedules, we might measure various options by thinking about how others would want us to spend our time. (If I was Jorge. . . would I want me to spend my walk to school thinking about how frustrating Jorge is, or about how clever and good-intentioned he is? Would I want me to gossip about Jorge, or read my scriptures? Would I want me to criticize Jorge, or sing with him?). We can also measure the quality of various political or economic policies by considering how they affect others, not just ourselves.

In our common discipleship of trying to be like Jesus, we have a lot to bond over. Focusing on these common things can build us up, in place of contending over differences or spending time on things that matter less. Like how it's fun to bond over discovering a common interest in Harry Potter or politics, bonding over common Christianity can be fun, and spiritually rewarding.