When Love Shows Up: Weekly Reflections about God’s Presence

When It's Legal - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

There are multiple places in which people might have stood up in Jesus’ defense. He did, after all, have friends, disciples, and followers. It is clear in the narrative they are scared, overwhelmed, and feel powerless. What would any one of their voices even do? What would happen to them if they spoke up? Retaliation is real.
Maybe some people watched cautiously, assuming that the processes put in place would be enough to curb injustice and save Jesus’ life. After all, the Roman Empire was imperfect, but it had laws. And their own Judean authorities could not all be on the same page, right? Some would have the courage to stand up and demand fairness and integrity. The peace brokered between Rome and Israel included checks and balances, didn’t they? Why speak up when they could just let the system work.
Still, some would stay silent out of something between apathy and complicity. The status quo may not be great, but at least they knew how to navigate it. At least they had found a way to function within it. Sometimes there will be some injustice. Sometimes innocence is ignored or misunderstood. And anyway, is anyone really innocent? If Jesus hadn’t done anything wrong at all, what did he have to be scared of? The Roman governor Pilate made a show of washing his hands. Sure he did. We all know sometimes you’re going to get your hands dirty. Sometimes that’s the cost of greatness.

Roommates - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

I was very nervous to share with Cory that I had become religious again. And he certainly was skeptical about it and had no problem sharing that with me. When eventually I decided to become a priest in the Episcopal Church, Cory said, “I have mixed feelings. I think you’ll be very good at it, but you’ll be leading people into a lie.” That was maybe the meanest thing he ever said to me. And when you think about it, it wasn’t actually all that mean. Tactless and insensitive, maybe. But heartfelt and honest and completely in keeping with years of our interactions. In fact, it was much less cruel than many things I had said to him in our time. I wasn’t even phased. “I know, man,” I said, “I know you think that. Thanks for saying I will be good at it.”
Cory once said that if he was right about there being nothing after you die, he would be very annoyed, because he’d like just a moment after death to know he was right. I love the audacity of that so much.
He asked to come to church with me a few times. He expressed desire to see me, as he said, “do my thing” once I had become a priest. He loved me, and was proud of me, and did not act like his feelings were mixed. And he continued trying to understand his own spirituality on his own terms. He explored and wondered and tried and thought and wrestled. I don’t know where he was with all this when he died, but I have no doubt he never stopped being curious and hopeful.

Formed for What - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

As we were coming home from church one Sunday, my mom commented excitedly about the pastor’s sermon. It was 1992 and the presidential race had been heating up. President George H.W. Bush was running for re-election and he had two opponents: the Democratic Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton, and billionaire businessman H. Ross Perot, who ran as an independent. Bush had been relatively popular and at first looked like he’d be cruising to an easy win. But things took a turn, Perot’s run began to siphon some of Bush’s support, and the charismatic Clinton started to become a real threat. Clinton was hounded by mutliple scandals based on sexual indiscretions. He had also famously dodged the draft, avoiding service in the Vietnam War, and had admitted to once smoking pot – though he famously said he didn’t inhale.
Bush on the other hand was as straight-laced as they come, a decorated World War II veteran who had dedicated most of his adult life to civil service. And while he was also very intelligent and articulate, he suffered from a comparative lack of charisma and relatability. You could just tell he found the idea that this crass kid could beat him for the highest office in the land was unthinkable. He would never say that though. What he did say was that this contest was a matter of character more than policy or ideological differences. Character, he said. It was a careful way of saying, “Are you going to elect the draft-dodging, word-fudging, pot smoking, womanizing power abuser, or the patriotic war hero who has devoted his life to public service?”
Of course, we know what America chose.

Formed for What - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

As we were coming home from church one Sunday, my mom commented excitedly about the pastor’s sermon. It was 1992 and the presidential race had been heating up. President George H.W. Bush was running for re-election and he had two opponents: the Democratic Governor of Arkansas Bill Clinton, and billionaire businessman H. Ross Perot, who ran as an independent. Bush had been relatively popular and at first looked like he’d be cruising to an easy win. But things took a turn, Perot’s run began to siphon some of Bush’s support, and the charismatic Clinton started to become a real threat. Clinton was hounded by mutliple scandals based on sexual indiscretions. He had also famously dodged the draft, avoiding service in the Vietnam War, and had admitted to once smoking pot – though he famously said he didn’t inhale.
Bush on the other hand was as straight-laced as they come, a decorated World War II veteran who had dedicated most of his adult life to civil service. And while he was also very intelligent and articulate, he suffered from a comparative lack of charisma and relatability. You could just tell he found the idea that this crass kid could beat him for the highest office in the land was unthinkable. He would never say that though. What he did say was that this contest was a matter of character more than policy or ideological differences. Character, he said. It was a careful way of saying, “Are you going to elect the draft-dodging, word-fudging, pot smoking, womanizing power abuser, or the patriotic war hero who has devoted his life to public service?”
Of course, we know what America chose.

A Prayer for Social Justice - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

The truth is, some of the barriers we experience are systemic, and they create reason for suspicion and hatred. Sometimes suspicions and hatreds are not themselves the problem, but symptoms of more deeply rooted problems. If I support defunding your child’s school, if I refuse to recognize your gender identity and vote for laws that marginalize you, if I cheer the removal of laws that protect you from discrimination, I have no right to wonder why there is a barrier between us. I have no business pondering why we can’t just disagree and get along.
I have a responsibility to you. I believe that is present in this prayer and must not be overlooked. We are praying that God would move the hearts of the people of our land, that God would move our hearts. The idea being that we want God to help us truly see each other’s humanity and belonging in such a way that we work together to remove the barriers that separate us. This, then, does not have to be idealism: it is the practical application of the command to love your neighbor, to love your enemy. See the humanity in all in such a way that you are moved to tear down the cultural, societal, and socio-economic barriers that separate us.

Loving My Political Enemy - Part 5 - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

Speaking of loving your political enemy, I remember a conversation I had with a relative a few years back. They are a family member with whom I tend to vehemently disagree about political issues. One day they sent me a text out of the blue that said, “Do you think God really cares about income inequality?” First, I need to tell you – because it may not be obvious - that the question was asked with sincerity. They were curious about my opinion as a religious professional, and not just baiting me. They are Roman Catholic, and were trying to sort through something Pope Francis had said about inequality.
Secondly, I want to say, I think this is a great question. It’s the kind of question I think Christians should engage in and wrestle with: One that expresses curiosity about how God views what we’ve got going on down here.
I don’t have my text response anymore, so I can’t quote it verbatim. I will be sure to make myself sound much smarter and more articulate in the retelling. But I remember sitting with the question for a minute.  Do I think God cares if some people make more money than others? Do I think that income inequality is inherently anti-Christian? Well, no, I don’t think I do. And that was the first part of my response. Because I recognize the basic premise that different jobs have different levels of responsibility, impact, and skill requirements, and that different levels of income might reflect that reality. So fine, ok.
And while I was typing that response, I started thinking about our prayers.

Loving My Political Enemy - Part 4 - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

It is especially tempting with political figures to give into cynicism and hatred. And to be clear, sometimes they deserve both. Following Jesus is not about giving people what they deserve. I’ll say that again. Following Jesus is not about giving people what they deserve. Following Jesus is about insisting on the belovedness of every human being.  
I know I said I wasn’t going to talk about Lent, but earlier this week was Ash Wednesday, the day that begins the Lenten season. And at the beginning of the Ash Wednesday service, we say a prayer that includes this phrase: God, you hate nothing you have made.  
God hates nothing they have made. So how can I love more like God loves?  
When it comes to political figures it can begin with sincere and consistent prayer, but it does not end there. When it comes to those in civil authority, I believe it is essential to acknowledge that part of loving them is holding them accountable. Loving them does not have to mean agreeing with them, liking them, or rooting for them. They are meant to represent us.  
Now may be a good time to say that resistance and protest are not inherently anti-love. They are often healthy ways to hold those in authority accountable to the fact that they were made in the image of God and they ought to act like it. Likewise, so-called civility is not always loving. Sometimes it’s a hollow politeness that papers over festering division and evil political acts. 
Loving my political enemy is not about rolling over and playing dead: it’s about finding strength in my conviction that God’s desire is for all humans to treat each other with respect and dignity. When I allow my ability to treat others with respect to be dictated not by God’s command but by the behavior of my enemy, I am not paying attention to God, and I am not paying attention to my own wellbeing.  

Loving My Political Enemy - Part 3 - The Rev. Philip DeVaul

We have different kinds of enemies in this life, and I want to spend the next few weeks diving into how to love them – and I am going to be paying special attention to how we love our political enemies. The reason for this should be obvious. We will look at how to love the politicians we can’t stand. We will look at how to love our enemies systemically in how and why we vote. But today we are going to look at how we love the political enemy who is our family member or friend.  
And let me say right out of the gates that yes, family and friends can be enemies. I know this is harsh language and it may make you uncomfortable to think this way. That’s ok. Let’s stay here for a little bit. Families and friendships can be pushed to or even past the breaking point over politics, and I’m not here to tell you that is inherently wrong, or that people are taking politics too seriously. If I were a person of color and one of my friends actively supported racist policies, I imagine it would impact our friendship. If I were a military veteran and a family member of mine cheered at funding cuts to the VA, I imagine it would impact our relationship.  
Politics are personal. It’s odd that we suggest otherwise. Perhaps politics don’t feel personal when the results of an election don’t affect your daily life all that much. But if your rights are being debated, your livelihood or safety is on the line, it doesn’t feel abstract – it becomes more than just a matter of playful debate. Nostalgic conversations about civility and placid calls for unity cost us nothing and are worth as much. We have a responsibility to take our division seriously.

Proclaiming the Blessing You See

It is important that we members of the Church of the Redeemer recognize that our belief in the blessing, belonging, and full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the life of the church puts us in the minority of the Christian faith throughout history. This is difficult for us to accept sometimes: Episcopalians get really uncomfortable when we realize we are not part of the mainstream. But we are not part of the mainstream of Christianity when it comes to our recognition of the work of healing and blessing that God is doing, with, and through LGBTQ+ persons.
It’s important we recognize this because it highlights just how essential our voices are in this time and place. By and large when Christians speak up about LGBTQ+ love, it is in condemnation, it is to shame and marginalize. When speaking in Jesus’ name, Christians mostly seek to negate and deny the blessing of that love – our churches almost exclusively working to perpetuate either the so-called “healing” or outright ostracization of people who were made in God’s image.
But you are a blessing. Whatever your sexual orientation or gender, you are a blessing. However, you identify, you are a blessing. You are essential. You matter tremendously to God and to the people around you. Your expression of love is even now teaching this world a deeper understanding of what love truly is. You form the world and the Church into who it is to be. When you are seen, truly seen, the Spirit is revealed. We see God.

You Are A Blessing

Each of us has a part to play in making our world truly inclusive, and this work is central to our understanding of the gospel of God's love in Jesus Christ.  The Church of the Redeemer believes in the full inclusion of LGBTQ plus persons on all levels of Christian ministry and in all areas of the church community.
We are committed to living into this belief  and to ensuring that That Redeemer is an affirming, encouraging, and inspiring worship community, where people of all genders and sexual orientations are empowered to know Jesus and grow in love.  The above is not meant as a political statement, though it may have political implications for some.
Neither is it meant as a partisan statement.  Though at any given time, one political party may be more in line with our beliefs about LGBTQ plus persons than another.  As Presiding Bishop Michael Curry has said, our commitment to be an inclusive church is not based on a social theory or capitulation to the ways of the culture, but on our belief that the outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross are a sign of the very love of God reaching out to us all.