We love to put people in boxes.

Life and relationships are more manageable when we can put a label on someone that helps us “understand” them better. Depending on the box we put someone in, we might expect certain behaviors from them, or avoid certain topics of conversation, or distance ourselves from getting too close.

Let me give you some examples:

Progressive or conservative.
Protestant or Catholic.
Blue collar or white collar.
Republican or Democrat.
Lower class or middle class.
Christian or atheist.
Young or old.
Us or them.

Do you see the pattern here?

We see some people as being like us, and some people as being not-so-much like us. We live in an “us vs. them” world. We strive to surround ourselves with similar-minded people, and we either avoid or ignore the voices that are different.

Perhaps this sounds harsh. And maybe it is—but with the election getting closer and closer, our world feels so divided. And so does the church. Followers of Christ have pitted themselves against each other, placing political agendas as their primary concern and perhaps even their ultimate hope.

I’m not saying politics are bad. I believe it’s important for us to be engaged with our communities and with our countries. Politics impact our lives. 

But politics are not the answer to all the brokenness in the world. Jesus is.

And so, our allegiance to God should always come before our allegiance to a political party, a leader, or any other person, think, or institution.

When we are asked what we believe or how we identify ourselves, our first answer should not be Democrat or Republican.

We are children of God. We are created in His image, redeemed by His love, following His guidance, sharing His love.

• What would it look like if we always kept this identity first and foremost in our minds, above all other affiliations?

• What would happen in this country if Christians stood united in faith, even coming from different political beliefs and backgrounds?

• How would the world change if we stopped seeing through the lens of “us vs. them,” but saw instead through the eyes of Jesus?

These are not easy questions. And I don’t come bearing easy answers. But I do believe that we, as the church, can do better. Our pastor had a really interesting sermon a few Sundays ago, and he pointed out that knowing a person’s political affiliation should not fundamentally change the way you see them.

We should be able to come from different parties, different socioeconomic statuses, different denominations, different careers, different generations, different faiths—and still treat each other with love and respect.

And when we can’t do this, we have a problem.

So, what are we supposed to do?

We might not be able to change an entire social climate, but we can start at home. We can show grace in challenging conversations around the dinner table. We can try to understand where our neighbors are coming from and practice active listening, even when we disagree. We can start with our small groups and churches and workplaces and communities, and grow from there.

We can pray for Jesus to change our hearts. And we can treasure our identity in Christ above all else.

Never forget… you are onederfully created in Him.

Love,
Becca