Should Christians Vote or Not?

"And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace" (Jer. 29:7).

Politics is a Dirty Business
Every election cycle this question comes up -- should Christians participate in the political process? It is well-known that politics is a “dirty business,” so should we touch it at all?

Politics, by its very nature, is about compromise. Democracy is about compromise. Take the United States Senate, for instance. 100 Senators come to the Capitol on behalf of 50 different states. Those senators have to hold in tension doing what is right for this country and at one and the same represent the people of their states back home.

This becomes even more complex when we look at the 435 members of the House of Representatives. They represent particular districts within their states. The people in Western Pennsylvania many times seem philosophically at odds with many of the people in Southeastern Pennsylvania. If a few congressmen and women from the same state don’t vote in lockstep, how much more of a challenge is it to get 435 people from 50 different states to agree on bills without compromise?! It is a wonder anything gets passed!

Politicians who represent states with large rural populations and agricultural economies are concerned about different issues than those who come from coastal states with large metropolitan areas and knowledge economies. When these politicians come together, it is nearly impossible to make everyone happy. How do you make both the constituent who believes in big entitlement programs and the fiscal conservative who says “no new taxes whatsoever” happy?

Despite the challenge, the politician’s job is to represent all the people in her or his district. Yes, even those who openly campaigned against them in their election. It is an imperfect process.

The politician should search for common ground and legislate for the common good. Having laid that groundwork, let me conclude that I believe we should indeed vote.

Freedom of Religion
We are in this world. We are in this world as individuals. We are in this world as a church. As a denomination, we support religious liberty. We believe that the Muslim, the Jew, the Hindu, the Baptist Christian, the Adventist Christian, and the Catholic Christian ought to be free to worship according to his or her conscience.

Let me advise you to candidates and their positions on issues that directly affect us. We should vote for candidates who support things like “freedom of religion.” There are forces at play in this election that are narrow and intolerant. There are groups of people who could easily support the legislation of morality. Many are professed Christians. But the God I serve never forces the will. Christians are not intolerant.

Forget about finding the perfect candidate. Notwithstanding, you should still be engaged with the issues and choose the candidate that best represents your interests and will seek to enact laws that provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of people.

God Needs People in the Halls of Congress Too
We are neighbors. We should be concerned about the good of our communities. God told Jeremiah to tell the people to pray for the peace of the city to which He was sending His people to live as exiles for 70 years.

As we participate in the things that make for the good of the city, we are being witnesses for Christ.

The Lord is trying to save everybody, even politicians. We are told to pray “for kings, and for all that are in authority” (1 Tim. 2:1-2). Jesus told His disciples, “Pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into His harvest” (Matt. 9:38). And then He sent them! I believe we ought to pray for our politicians. And I believe the Lord is sending some of us to the halls of Congress to influence “all that are in authority” by our principled participation in the political process, e.g. Wintley Phipps and Barry Black.

Finally, as African-Americans, we should vote! Our right to vote was borne out of prayers offered in churches and the blood and tears of Christians who fought racial structures that allowed others to dehumanize the image of God in us.

Please get informed. You have between now and Tuesday. Go online. Just about every politician has a website. Read their platforms. Be engaged. And go vote on Tuesday, November 2. (Vote early. And tweet that you voted to encourage others.)