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.