Voting season is the most polarizing time of the year in our country. While common sentiment would lead you to think that religion and politics are the two things that you should never bring up in conversation, the reality is that either the world will teach us how to think about politics or the Word of God will teach us. Politics are so divisive because we all have skin in the game. For many of us, there is a real fear of the impact that will be made based on who wins an election. When we fear loss our pride often kicks in to try and prevent that loss.
To make it more complex, both the liberal and conservative sides can pick certain Bible verses and constructs to prop up their agenda. This is why an oft used statement by both sides is, “I don’t see how you can be a Christian and vote for _______.” This begs the question, how do we act as the Church in such a politically divisive climate?
In John 17, Jesus prays over all those who will come to faith with a singular purpose: that they may be one even as the Christ and the Father are one. The reason he gives for his desire for the Church’s unity is “so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” This tells us that our oneness will be our witness to an unbelieving world. While unity like this in light of our differences may seem impossible, God calls us to it as a reflection of His love for us displayed while we were radically different from Him. A political candidate will win or lose based on how we vote on a Tuesday, the Church will win or lose based on how we love each other every day.