There’s an old adage that says the two things you should never talk about in polite company: politics or religion. As a pastor, I can’t really avoid talking about the latter, but while I do think it’s important to use wisdom when we talk about politics, I think it’s even more important that we, as Christians, have an understanding of how to properly engage with politics as a whole. One of the most jarring things I’ve observed over the last decade has been how sharp the divide has become when engaging in politics, particularly when someone has a view contrary to our own.
Because of this, I think it’s important as a church to have some guidelines as to how we approach politics in the 21st century. While there’s much nuance and vastness that comes with policies, platforms and personalities, there’s even more discretion and wisdom to use in our engagement. My prayer is that these following points would help to inform how you pray, converse and ultimately live as Christian in the midst of growing political tension in our nation.
- We understand our primary allegiance is to King Jesus. We live in a democracy in which politicians represent the people that vote for them. However, while we vote for politicians to represent us, we do not trust in politicians to save us; only Jesus can do that. Jesus is the hope of the world, and the Church is the vehicle in which He intends to bring that hope. Every politician is running on a platform that promises to to deal with the symptoms of sin, but there’s only One who can deal with the root. This obviously doesn’t mean we don’t engage with politics, but it’s not where put our faith.
- We align with policies and pray for personalities. We honor and pray for our politicians, no matter what their policies or their personality. In a celebrity-driven society like America, people are drawn to personalities, and that often is what informs their decision making, allegiance, etc. For others, personalities can be why they won’t align or vote with someone. You are free to not like or agree with certain personalities, but Jesus made it explicitly clear during His Sermon on the Mount that our love is not exclusive to those that we find lovable. One of the many perspectives that have emerged in our current political climate seeks to frame certain personalities or opponents as "enemies" unto us. Our mandate is to love and pray for everyone, not reciprocate what we perceive to be indignation towards us. The highest command of followers of Jesus is to love—this is not eradicated due to policies
- We vote based on biblical convictions through prayer and the Word of God. As Christians, our responsibility is to not merely mirror the culture or regurgitate others’ opinions but instead to diligently seek God, voting in accordance with what we believe God wants us to do. Here’s a spoiler: all across the country, there will be people who fast, pray and seek God and vote for different candidates. The Kingdom of God is not relegated to conservative or liberal ideologies, and we do not reduce Jesus to a political tool.
- We disagree with our neighbor in proximity and with love. James makes it clear that our words are to be tools that build, not weapons that destroy. This goes for not only words that are spoken, but words that are typed. Never once in all my life have I seen a person change their political affiliation due to engagement within a comment section. I’ve been fascinated by the visceral reactions that come from disagreements when, in actuality, the way of Jesus calls us to be those that esteem others with honor, dignity and respect no matter what. I actually believe that one of the reasons for this type of discord comes from our lack of proximity to the humanity of others. When I only see others as opinions on a screen or on a forum, it removes the essence of that person and thus makes it easier for me to see them as less than. We would do well to share a meal with someone who has voted differently than us rather than looking for ways to maintain distance from those we disagree with.
My prayer is that, regardless of the outcome of this election and every election after it, we would be more committed to seeing Jesus glorified through our humility, our kindness, our gentleness and our love for one another.
In Christ Alone,
Ryan Schlachter
NYC Location Pastor
