Having finished my series on Johann Hari’s book Stolen Focus (including brief reviews of a couple other important books on paying attention) earlier this summer, and having slowed down a bit here for the last few weeks, as I was tied up with The Englewood Review’s transition back into book publishing (read about it here), I am finally ready to turn my attention to a new series.
Given the upcoming elections in the U.S., including the presidential election, I thought I would offer some theologically-oriented thoughts on the political process. To be clear, I won’t tell you who you should vote for in the presidential election (though I do have strong thoughts on that, which will rapidly become apparent). Rather in the spirit of this Substack’s focus on community and formation, I thought I would encourage us to take a keen look at the democratic process (at least as it is here in the U.S. Perhaps if those of you outside the U.S. can bear with us, you might find a few relevant thoughts for your own situation?) and explore how it forms us and our communities, including both our churches and our neighborhoods. I’m giving a talk at a local church soon, and am pulling together some resources to share for that event, which I also intend to share here.
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I thought I’d kick off this series by telling a bit of my own story of faith and politics. For two decades – that is, for most of the time that I’ve been eligible to vote – I chose not to vote, and especially in presidential elections. (I did vote a few times in those two decades on referenda and for local candidates.) I was not shy about this position, and even wrote several pieces about it, including this 2012 one for Relevant magazine. My opposition to voting was largely rooted in the conviction that Christians had more important political work to do. In the above article, I wrote:
My opposition to voting is rooted primarily in the narrative of Christ’s incarnation. Jesus was born and lived in a particular time and place; the kingdom He proclaimed did not seek to overthrow the Roman Empire and re-order society from the top down. Instead, He sought to reenergize the grassroots social order of YHWH begun in Ancient Israel, a locally embodied polis that functioned most healthfully without a king. Jesus called 12 disciples, a little community that recalled the 12 tribes of Israel, and they shared life together in a way that proclaimed God’s healing and abundance to the people they encountered.
And although I’ve changed my stance on voting and have voted in the last two presidential elections, I still stand by this conviction that the church has more important political work to do:
Our main political task, as a local church community, is to follow the mission of God in the church and thus to embody Jesus faithfully in our place and to work with our neighbors toward the health and flourishing of our neighborhood. [Walt] Whitman’s assumption that there are more important political realities in our land than our elected officials rings true for me. According to the theological narrative I have defined here, churches are the most important of these political realities, but also more important is the open dialogue and collaboration of neighbors as they seek to cultivate their places in such a way that they flourish and can be sustained.
Although I still adamantly stand on these convictions, I have come to believe that voting is one important political tool in a Christian’s toolbelt. So what changed my mind about voting? I had been taught, like I suspect most Americans are, that voting is an important way to make sure your voice is heard and to protect your interests. And also like a good American, I interpreted these convictions about voting in a highly individualistic way – I assumed that I would be voting for what would be best for my personal, private interests as an individual. What I have come to realize, and what has changed my mind about voting is the realization that it is possible, and arguably preferable, to vote on the basis of something bigger than my own personal interests. I choose to cast my vote for the candidate who would be best for my neighbors, particularly for my neighbors who are on the margins of American society.
With the rise of Donald Trump’s candidacy in 2015 and 2016, I saw that he clearly was not a candidate who represented the best interests of women (recall his crude, misogynistic words about grabbing women, etc.) or immigrants (recall his persistent fear mongering about immigrants and his early platform centered on building a wall). After his election, he made it clear that he represented interests that were hostile to Black Americans and other people of color (recall his response to Charlottesville and other instances where he refused to denounce white supremacists). And more recently, he has demonstrated that he is not a candidate that respects the fundamental interests of the American system of democracy. And if you are a conservative, he has also made it clear in the last few months that he also doesn’t care about the interests of the unborn either.
I’m still pretty cynical about what voting will actually accomplish, especially when our political system is held hostage by the two major parties, but since we’re given the right to make our voices heard, I’m going to speak out with my vote for candidates who represent the interests of my neighbors who are poor, who are people of color, who are immigrants, etc. And even more important than casting my one vote, I’m going to work to ensure that my neighbors who are legally eligible to vote are registered and able to cast their votes. (And when given the opportunity, I will denounce and vote against policies that make it more difficult for American citizens to vote.)
The reign of God that Jesus embodied and preached is an upside down one. The last are first, the first last, and those who are scorned by society (the poor, the meek, those who mourn, peacemakers, etc.) are celebrated and called blessed in the eyes of God. So what role might voting play among those who bear witness to this upside down sort of political vision?
First, as I noted above in my own story, let’s turn the conventional wisdom about voting on its head by being with, listening to, and voting for the interests of our neighbors on the margins, those who Jesus called blessed by God.
Second, let’s upend the narrative that voting is the most important – or only – way that we can be involved politically. Let’s live lives that are marked by our compassion and our care for our neighbors and particularly our marginalized neighbors. Let’s organize our life together in our churches in ways that help us work alongside our marginalized neighbors. If that means standing against particular injustices that are killing our neighbors or wearing them down, let us stand. If it means sharing resources then let us share generously.
Finally, let’s also turn our personal practices of voting on their head. Let’s give more time and attention to local politics that will have a more immediate and more powerful effect on the lives of our actual neighbors. And from there, let our local politics lead our decisions about the policies and the candidates that we will support in state and federal elections.
In the coming posts in this series, I will explore this upside down politics in more detail, digging into a number of facets that I have highlighted in this post, and perhaps a few others as well.
Thank you Christopher, I think that it is important for Christians to make a stand for truth and justice for all! Those who follow Jesus must make it clear as to which candidate that would be and clearly speak for that person. Trump is NOT for truth and justice!
As a European, I'd encourage anyone reading this to remember the world is your neighbour. For example, as shown in last week's debate, there is a marked difference between the candidates on Ukraine. Trump capitulates to and is manipulated by Putin. Living in the UK in a city with a small Ukrainian refugee population, knowing Putin has assassinated his rivals on our soil and risked thousands of deaths. A vote for Trump or an abstain is not neighbourly to my home.