Election Season Sanity At Church

As election season heats up in the US, church leaders face the daunting task of guiding their congregations through an increasingly hostile and divisive landscape. Our mailboxes, inboxes, TV screens, and social media feeds are littered with hate-filled political ads and half-true posts. What can we do?

• With so many strong opinions and heightened emotions, it’s easy to feel paralyzed. Church leaders seem to have impossible and sometimes incompatible goals:
• How can we remain a beacon of grace and peace? What can we do to ensure the church remains united? When should we speak the biblical truth some may not want to hear? How can we lead with love in the face of so much hate?

As challenging as it may seem, several guiding principles can keep us on the right track. We can foster an environment where political disputes do not overshadow the gospel and do not sideline the work of church renewal.

FIVE FRESH IDEAS FOR NAVIGATING POLITICS IN CHURCH

Idea 1. KEEP THE GOSPEL FIRST

• The danger of idolatry is real in modern politics. In order to win, many candidates present themselves as heroes who can fix everything. Taken to extremes, this can be an alternate gospel.
• The supposed “good news” of a finite and flawed human cannot compare to the actual Good News of a perfectly powerful and perfectly loving God. If we keep the true Gospel in front of our people, they will be less likely to put their ultimate faith, allegiance, and hope in humans.

Idea 2. PROMOTE UNITY OVER DIVISION

• In order to get elected, politicians need an enemy. In order to get ratings, cable TV news hosts need an enemy. It seems like everyone is incentivized to divide people into teams along ideological extremes and present anyone on the other side an enemy.
• In reality, most Americans do not belong to the fringes. Gallup found that 42 percent are independents — a much larger number than the 29 percent who identify as Democrats or the 27 percent who identify as Republicans. While everything else in society is pushing people apart, the Church can bring people together (especially considering what we just talked about in Idea 1).

Idea 3. SPEAK NUANCED TRUTH…TO BOTH SIDES

• In the Bible, the Old Testament prophets frequently spoke difficult truths to political leaders. For example, instead of currying favor with King David by saying what he wanted to hear, the prophet Nathan confronted him regarding his adultery and murder (2 Samuel 12). Similarly, in the New Testament, Paul refused to give Governor Felix a bribe but rather boldly promoted the Christian faith (Acts 24).
• In marked contrast, many Christians today see nothing but good in their political candidate or party (and nothing but bad in the opposition). Some have traded their prophetic role in, exchanging it to become an enabler. Because there is good and bad to point out on both sides, wise pastors must equip their people to be discerning and clear-eyed about this reality.

Idea 4. SPEAK UNEQUIVOCALLY AGAINST EVIL

• While there are multiple nuanced perspectives on many issues, some are crystal clear. For example, the two attempts to assassinate former President Trump are evil, and pastors should be unafraid to say so.
• Pastors cannot stay silent on black-and-white issues for fear of offending a certain contingent of people in their congregation. Shepherding and leading people includes helping them orient their moral compass around the Bible’s clear message. This is often best done pastorally in the context of individual relationships.

Idea 5. MODEL BIBLICAL SUBMISSION AND PRAYER

• The Bible is clear that we are to submit to our political leaders (Romans 13:1, 1 Peter 2:17). When the New Testament was written, these leaders were murderous scoundrels who wanted Christianity to be stamped out. If the first century Christians were told to submit to them then, surely, we can submit to ours today (with certain exceptions, as seen in Acts 5:29).
• The Bible also instructs us to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-2). As Christians, we should not only pray for the people we like, but also for those who oppose us and persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Our prayers must lead the way in showing respect and concern for our leaders, even when we do not agree with them.

Political divisions are only deepening, but this sad reality provides the Church with a golden opportunity to be a refreshing alternative to what the world offers. We can be distinct in how we lead with both love and truth. It’s not the easy way, but it is the better way!