The first epistle of St. John has as an underlying theme that love of God and love of neighbor are not two different things but two sides of the same coin. The measure of our love of God is our love for neighbor since everyone is part of the family of God. This has very practical implications. If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? We need to get over the illusion that what’s mine is mine and understand that what’s mine is a gift from God which is meant to help not only me but the world I inhabit to become a little more the kingdom of God. St. John Chrysostom put it this way: If you have two coats and your brother has none, you are stealing from your brother. While hyperbolic, meant to provoke a response, there is an underlying truth: that we have a responsiblity toward those in need.
