Today is Election Day here in America. For some of us, the last few months have made us want to plug our ears and run away until the dust settles on our hopeless, political process. For others, this season has made us feel like politics—and our preferred candidate—is the only hope for spiritual and societal change in our country.
Political quietism or political supremacy might seem like our only options. But if you long to traverse our political divides in a different way, I have a conversation just for you. Rev. Corey Widmer joins me on the podcast to talk about how to navigate political polarization with humility, love, and a commitment to Jesus’ way of life.
Corey and I don’t talk about the actual results of the election or even mention the candidates running for President. But we do talk about a different approach to politics.
In particular, how do we embody the way of love in our political climate?
For example, assuming that the audience for this newsletter aligns with the American people, about half of you reading this letter will be pleased with the election results, and about half of you will be disappointed.
Responding to Election Results
So how do we respond to the election results, whether happy or disappointed, in a way that embodies love?
Here’s Corey’s advice (edited for clarity and length):
If people are disappointed with the election results:
I would remind them that in democracy, political disappointment is always better than having your own despot in power. And for Christians, we deeply believe that the future of the Kingdom of God isn’t tied to a specific candidate. So acceptance is actually a really Christian response.
We then move on, and we work constructively. We pray for wisdom. We pray for those in power. We work for the good of all.
Our main call in life has not changed, which is to follow Jesus in the pattern that he’s laid out in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount, continuing to love and serve our neighbor, and ultimately to hold our leaders accountable to what we see as the way of justice.
If people are happy with the election results:
I would remind them that they are still called to be part of the loyal opposition. Our ultimate allegiance is to Jesus.
In the days ahead, you’ll need to remember that the person you voted for, that you’re excited about, is not someone who is always going to perfectly embody the values of Jesus and is not always going to do things that are aligned with God’s vision for life.
There may be things that happen that are good. There may be things that happen that are really bad, that denigrate life, that distort the image of God, that neglect justice, that neglect compassion. No matter who is elected, we pray for our state and work for good, but we give our ultimate allegiance to Jesus. We know that every nation state and every human leader will fall short.
I would love to know what you think about this conversation, and I would love for you to pass it along to the people in your circle who might also be encouraged by Corey’s words.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST EPISODE HERE
Also, William, our son, was invited to talk to his school about why he thinks politics is important. He said:
“Politics should be about coming together, across party affiliation, across race, across class, across gender, to implement solutions to the problems that we face as people. Politics, in its best form, is people from different backgrounds coming together to find solutions that help everyone.”
The rhetoric of our current national political situation does not involve a whole lot of coming together. But we all can participate locally in coming together to find solutions that help everyone. I’m grateful for William’s clear and hopeful vision.
Get my reflections on disability, faith, and culture delivered to your inbox each week.
Subscribe here!
MORE WITH AMY JULIA:
- FREE DOWNLOAD: 5 Ways to Experience God’s Love and Practice Peace
- S8 E1 | Narrow Path, Spacious Life with Rich Villodas
- S7 E15 | Bringing Politics Under the Power of Love with Michael Wear
Let’s stay in touch. Subscribe to my newsletter to receive regular updates and reflections. Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and subscribe to my Reimagining the Good Life podcast.
