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

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.

Loving My Political Enemy - Part 2

As we decide whether or not to take Jesus seriously, it is worth noting that Jesus was not a person of privilege. I say this in part because I am a person of privilege, and in part because sometimes we forget about who Jesus really is and we categorize him as one as well.  
I know that in our current climate even talking about having privilege is divisive. I know using that language will throw some people off, or make you shake your head and stick me in a specific category before I go any further. That’s ok. There is no way around it: My race, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, and income bracket all point to the fact that my life in the United States is more convenient than if any of those things were something else. I could get in a time machine and go to any point in this country’s history and my rights and stature would be roughly the same as what they are now. People like me are who the framers of our constitution had in mind when they founded this country – and our government and culture still reflect that reality. Privilege. 
So, when I say we should love our enemies, one could easily respond, “Well that’s easy enough for you to say: What have you got to lose?” And that would be a fair point.

Loving My Political Enemy - Part 1

Maybe the most controversial and universally ignored statement of Jesus’ entire ministry is when he says, love your enemies and pray for those who hate you. It seems the universal response to Jesus’ command is “No. No thank you.” We do not at all seem interested in this, and we who call ourselves Christian often relegate this command to either a suggestion or a description of being an idealistic superhuman. It is neither of these things. Loving our enemies is not a suggestion. It is, however, a description – not of a superhuman, but of something you and I can learn to do in real life if we are interested in taking Jesus seriously.
I get that we are skeptical of Jesus’ admonition to love our enemies and pray for those that hate us. In part this skepticism comes from a shallow understanding of love simply as warm and affectionate feelings. And being commanded to feel warm feelings and think happy thoughts about those who hate us rightfully seems ridiculous. Try to remember that when Jesus talks about love, he is not appealing to your emotions or sentiments: He is talking about the lens through which you view people, and the actions you take towards them. He is talking practically.
So let’s think practically. Political and ideological division are at the front of our minds these days, and I understand why. For the record, when you hear people say, “Politics should never get in the way of our relationship,” I disagree.

WLSU: Love In Real Time

 I want to talk about love in real time, in real life. I want to articulate a practical application of love. With that in mind how about this: Love is a lens through which we look at the world, at our lives, at our selves. In the Christian tradition it is said that God made the world, and that God made humans in God’s image. In practical terms then, to look through the lens of love is to try to find God’s presence in everyone I meet, in every situation in which I find myself – and then to honor that presence with my words and deeds.
This is practical work. Because participating in the love for which we were made takes work even if we were made for it. And we need to say that out loud because when we don’t we get caught up in romantic notions of love as something that comes easy. Then when love becomes difficult, we misidentify and abandon it. “What good is it to love only the people who love you?” Jesus was known to ask, and this is what he was getting at. “Oh, you see God’s presence in people who like you and make your life easier? How nice! Are you interested in something deeper?”