text: Where I think we may disagree, Stephen, is in our perception of a) what constitutes advocacy for the poor; b) what kind of advocacy falls within the Kingdom ministry of Christ - which is the sole vocation of the Church; and c) the importance of advocacy, relative to personal acts of love and mercy. 
  
  I think I am advocating for the poor and seeking justice for the oppressed when I oppose wage and price controls; when I oppose abortion; when I support free markets, private property, small government, equal application of the law. So to me, opposition to a big government welfare state is imextricably interwoven with advocacy for the poor, just as you believe the opposite. 
  
  I don't think the gospel tells us who is right, and I don't think Jesus cares. His refusal to be distracted by these concerns during His ministry should inform our conclusions about what constitutes Kingdom advocacy. Christ's disregard for Caesar as a Kingdom concern is like "the dog that didn't bark."