The Christian vote in this election is critical. We know because we’ve seen plenty of Christian groups taking a stand for both presidential candidates. But what about the Christians who haven’t decided who to vote for, or even whether to vote? Maybe you’ve got a cousin or neighbor who just isn’t sure they want to show up at all. With so much at stake this election, that cousin and that neighbor are a particularly important slice of the electorate and they need information that resonates—neither right nor left, progressive or conservative, Republican or Democrat.
But all they’re hearing is a whole lot being claimed in Jesus’ name that just doesn’t sound all that Christian. No wonder so many are finding themselves increasingly confused about what Christianity and the teachings of Jesus say (and don’t say) about pressing issues facing our nation and world. No wonder so many are having a hard time figuring out “what Jesus would do.”
But rather than folding our arms in disgust and writing off those friends, family and neighbors who are checking out and sitting out this election, what if we turned from the harsh political rhetoric to Jesus’ teachings for clarity? Because whether right, left, center, or apolitical, Christians do want to make informed choices that align with our values, and preserve the security of our families, freedoms, faith, and our futures.
What might it look like if we tapped into the Gospel with clear, concise, and nonpartisan theology?
Well for starters, this theology would be honest about the fact that Christians don’t agree on everything. And that’s okay. In fact, that’s a good thing because it allows our faith to expand. This theology would focus on election issues with intellectually honest and modern biblical scholarship. And it would look for threads that tie together the election with Jesus’ core teachings.
Unfortunately, nonpartisan Christian content is scarce these days. So, we took a deep dive into a wide range of Christian perspectives to create a very accessible, nonpartisan resource called Take Back Christianity that looks at eight key election issues through a Christian values lens. It’s neither progressive nor conservative, Democrat or Republican.
No matter where we sit on the political spectrum, exploring what Jesus can teach us is good for all of us. When Christians are being pitted against Christians, when so much vitriol flows among our leaders, our neighbors, even our family members, we can all use some good gospel guidance right about now. We invite you to check out Take Back Christianity for yourself, then consider sharing it with that cousin and neighbor so they can start to see this election, not through division, but through Christian values.
The threads that link this election’s issues with Jesus’ teaching are pretty clear, of course, starting with “love your neighbor” — the very essence of Jesus’ teaching and if we’re honest with ourselves, something that’s feeling increasingly hard to do. [Matthew 22:37–39, Matthew 22:34-39, Mark 12:28-31, Luke 10:27, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8, 1 John 4:21, Romans 15:1-2, 1 Corinthians 10:24] Because elections mean choosing leaders, the second thread is also pretty clear and increasingly elusive: Jesus’ call to servant leadership. [Luke 4:5-8, Luke 22:26, Matthew 20:26, Mark 10:45, John 13:1-17 NIV, Matthew 25:32] Of course if these two ideals were so easy to achieve, Jesus wouldn’t have had to teach them and die doing so.
Precisely because it feels like chaos is circling, maybe Jesus’ teachings are challenging every one of us to step up as servant leaders in this difficult moment. Christians do not fear humility, respect, and acts of kindness. We aim to lead with them. We do not seek an eye for the eye—Jesus gave sight to the blind [John 9:1-7]—and he gives us permission to open our eyes, too, so that just maybe, we can see our way to an open heart and healing. That is love of neighbor.
So yes, this is a plea to vote and to encourage everyone to vote with informed values. Sitting out this election is still voting, except you are giving your voice and vote to candidates up and down the ballot who may not be aligned with your values. With so many important leadership roles are on the ballot—from the Senate and House of Representatives, to state legislators and election officials, to important ballot initiatives and more—what would Jesus do? Jesus would vote. So, let’s show that cousin and neighbor what servant leaders can do.
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