As I write this, the country is only a few days away from electing the next president of the United States. The campaigning has been long and characterized by personal insults, accusations, and a notable lack of substantive proposals and discussion. Most of us will undoubtedly be glad to see this constant back-and-forth end. Regardless of the outcome, about half the voting population will be disappointed.
As Christians, how should we then live when the next chief executive is sworn in and a new administration—and perhaps political party—begins running the country? Whether or not the candidate and party we voted for emerge victorious, there are a few points we should keep in mind as citizens of heaven whose ultimate allegiance is to King Jesus (Philippians 3:20; Revelation 19:16).
A Tale of Two Cities
It is tempting to view a party or candidate we believe in as having the ability to transform society and fundamentally change the country (or state or locale) for the better. With the right group or person in power, we feel, there is hope for peace, prosperity, and perhaps even a spiritual revival. We should remember, however, the great theologian Augustine’s distinction between the City of God and the City of Man.
As Christians, we are ultimately citizens of the City of God, and it will always prove futile to attempt to transform the City of Man into the City of God as the two are in fundamental opposition.
The City of God is driven by a love for God, while the City of Man is fueled by self-love and pride. The City of God operates according to divine justice and humility, while the City of Man follows an ethic of dominance and self-interest. The City of God will last for eternity, while the City of Man will eventually face God’s judgment and destruction.
This is not to say that Christians should not actively participate in politics. As one group of Christian thinkers rightly points out,
To avoid or dismiss political engagement is to forgo an important opportunity to help our neighbors and to promote the righteousness and justice that are the foundation of God’s throne (Psalm 89:14). . . . Politics provides Christians with an opportunity to actively love our neighbors through advocacy, policymaking, and civic representation. To refuse to engage in politics is to refuse to take advantage of a useful tool for God’s work.1
While Christians should be politically engaged, we must avoid giving undue allegiance or priority to the City of Man. Doing so can result in a number of spiritual pitfalls:
- Focusing on worldly success, power, and material wealth over spiritual goals
- Justifying unethical behavior for the sake of success, influence, or comfort
- Placing earthly institutions or ideologies above biblical commitments
- Relying primarily on political or social power to promote Christianity
- Becoming despondent when parties or candidates fail or disappoint
- Appearing indistinguishable from secular attitudes and practices.
C. S. Lewis advises us to remember that in this world, we are soldiers fighting behind enemy lines: “Enemy-occupied territory—that is what this world is. Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.”2 By maintaining our status as sojourners and exiles (1 Peter 2:11), we can be salt and light in the world (Matthew 5:13-16) while not being of the world (John 17:16).
God Remains Sovereign
We are naturally alarmed when a candidate is voted into office whose beliefs or agenda seem antithetical to Christian principles (and in fact, no candidate or party will fully measure up to Jesus’ teachings).
We can be encouraged, however, by the fact that nothing in the universe occurs outside of God’s sovereignty.
Sovereignty refers to the “divine attribute of being all-powerful as the King and Lord who exercises supreme rule over all creation.”3 This rulership includes the political realm, as Paul relates in Romans: “. . . For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (13:1). As with other aspects of God’s sovereignty, even in our personal lives, we are frequently surprised and sometimes dismayed by what God brings about or allows to happen. We will likely not understand the reasons until eternity—yet we know that God will work out all circumstances for our good (Romans 8:28).
One implication that Paul draws out from God’s sovereignty over political regimes, however, is that Christians should “be subject to the governing authorities” because “whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted” (Romans 13:1–2; see also 1 Peter 2:13–14). We can be thankful that we live in a country based on the rule of law and that, in most cases, as Paul goes on to say, “. . . rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong” (Romans 13:3, NIV). Governmental authority is not absolute, however, and when those in power command God’s people to act contrary to his Word, Christians are justified in disobeying (Acts 5:28–29; Daniel 3).
Because those in authority are God’s servants, elsewhere, Paul instructs believers to pray “for kings and all those in authority” so that God’s people can live “peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way” (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
Thus, as Christians, unless we are asked to do something contrary to God’s will, we should submit to the governing authority of whichever candidate occupies the Oval Office and pray for them regularly so that they will govern justly and wisely. Like the Israelites in exile in Babylon, we should “seek the peace and prosperity” of our city, state, and nation and “pray to the Lord for [them], because if [they prosper], you too will prosper” (Jeremiah 29:7, NIV).
A Peaceable Kingdom
At this point, it goes almost without saying that our country is politically polarized. Eighty-two percent of Republicans say the Democratic Party has been taken over by socialists, while 80% of Democrats view the Republican Party as being controlled by racists. More than eight in ten Americans (86%) agree with the statement: “Republicans and Democrats are more focused on fighting each other than on solving problems.”4 Many people say they’ve lost friendships over political disagreements in the past few years.
In this cultural moment, we need a return to basic civility, which has eroded in recent decades. A familiar New Testament word for civility is simply love. As Christian political strategist Justin Giboney and his coauthors point out,
In politics, civility shows itself in respect for disagreement and in granting others the right to express it. Civility shows itself when we acknowledge the best in our political opponents’ line of thinking and the best in our political opponents themselves. . . . Incivility is toxic because it stems from a lapse in the recognition of human dignity: recognition of the dignity of others or recognition of one’s own dignity.5
How can we civilly engage those we disagree with while having more peaceful interactions and productive conversations? This is not easy when it comes to deeply held political beliefs, but the following brief points can help us move in the right direction.
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- Prioritize relationships over winning—Paul exhorts us: “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18). Don’t burn relational bridges to promote your political viewpoint or criticize someone else’s. If tempers are flaring and criticisms become personal, it’s better to change the subject or walk away. We live in a media environment that thrives on outrage and “owning” the other side. Countless talking heads try to convince us that those who disagree with us politically are our mortal enemies. It’s up to us to avoid these messages so we don’t fall prey to extreme and unbiblical thinking.
- Seek to understand the other person’s perspective—James writes, “let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). This is an application of the Golden Rule for discussing contentious topics. We want others to listen to and understand our viewpoints, so we should do the same for them. It’s easy to make assumptions about what someone believes and why, but we may completely misunderstand their perspective unless we listen carefully and empathetically.
- Find common ground—To cite Paul again, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding” (Romans 14:19). Although we may differ with those of other political persuasions on what specific policies should be enacted, we can often find common ground on our underlying moral values. These values might include commitments to compassion, helping those in need, fairness, equality, loyalty, liberty, opportunity, and many others.
Relationships can be strengthened by focusing on our shared hopes rather than on what divides us.
One final thought, already hinted at above, is that we shouldn’t be so consumed with national politics that we neglect or downplay what God has given us to steward right in front of us. As one thinker wisely observes,
Aside from voting once every two to four years, most of us wield no national authority. The world will go on virtually unchanged whether we have seen the latest segment on Fox News or CNN or read the latest tweet from our favorite pundit. Therefore . . . we would be better off tuning that information out and focusing on what is in front of us: the responsibility—and opportunity—to do our work well, support our colleagues, build up our places of worship, strengthen our local municipalities, and nurture our circles of friends and family.6
Christopher L. Reese (MDiv, ThM) is the founder and editor of The Worldview Bulletin and a general editor of the Dictionary of Christianity and Science (Zondervan) and Three Views on Christianity and Science (Zondervan). He is the author of 100 Old Testament Quotes by Jesus: How Christ Used the Hebrew Scriptures (Rose/Tyndale), and his articles have appeared in Christianity Today, Bible Gateway, Beliefnet, The C. S. Lewis Institute, and other sites.