Compassion (&) Conviction

1. Christians must engage in politics to love neighbors and seek justice.

Christians should engage politics because doing so provides us with a robust opportunity to love our neighbor by acting justly, promoting human flourishing, and seeking the prosperity of our community.

Politics impacts everyone. Political decisions are not abstract; they directly affect people's lives, determining matters of freedom, safety, housing, and even life and death. To avoid politics is to neglect a significant sphere of influence where Christians can actively demonstrate love for their neighbors. This love is not merely a feeling but requires substantive action, as illustrated by the parable of the Good Samaritan and the instruction in James 2:15-17 regarding faith without action.

Seeking righteousness and justice. The Bible consistently calls God's people to pursue justice and righteousness, which are foundational to His character and throne (Psalm 89:14). Government is ordained by God, in part, to uphold justice (Romans 13:4, Amos 5:15). Therefore, Christians have a biblical mandate to participate in the political system to ensure society treats people fairly, upholds human dignity, and seeks the peace and prosperity of their communities (Jeremiah 29:7).

Historical and biblical examples. Throughout history and Scripture, faithful individuals have used political means to advance God's will and help others.

• Joseph: Used his position in Egypt to save people from famine.
• Moses: Confronted Pharaoh to liberate the Israelites.
• Daniel: Served in Babylonian/Persian courts while maintaining fidelity to God.
• Ezra & Nehemiah: Worked with Persian kings to rebuild Jerusalem.
• Paul: Used his Roman citizenship to further the gospel mission.
• William Wilberforce: Led the abolitionist movement in the UK through Parliament.
• Frederick Douglass: Advocated for abolition and civil rights, advising President Lincoln.
• Fannie Lou Hamer: Organized and advocated for voting rights in the Jim Crow South.

2. Government is God-ordained; separation of church and state allows faithful influence, not exclusion.

Many people have misinterpreted the separation of church and state to mean that religious views shouldn’t play a role in public discussions and lawmaking.

Government's divine purpose. The Bible teaches that governing authorities are established by God (Romans 13:1) to bring order, safety, and justice to a fallen world. While no human government is perfect, these institutions serve a necessary function in restraining chaos and promoting the common good. Christians are called to be subject to these authorities, but also to challenge them when they ignore or support injustice.

Understanding church and state. The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prevents the government from establishing a religion or favoring one over others, while the Free Exercise Clause protects citizens' right to practice their religion freely. This separation prevents a theocracy and ensures religious freedom for all, allowing Christians to share the gospel in a marketplace of ideas. It does not mean religious values must be excluded from public life or lawmaking.

Values inform law. All laws and policies are based on underlying values and judgments about what is right, wrong, beneficial, or harmful. It is impossible to create law from a neutral position. Therefore, Christians are not only permitted but obligated to apply biblical values to their political decisions and advocacy, seeking to influence laws for the good of their neighbors and society, while respecting the pluralistic nature of society and not seeking to simply enforce Christian doctrine on non-believers.

3. Faithful engagement requires balancing compassion (social justice) and conviction (moral order), rejecting false political choices.

America’s current political system separates love from truth, compassion from conviction, and social justice from moral order as if they’re somehow at odds with one another.

The gospel framework. The gospel calls Christians to embody both love and truth, compassion and conviction, social justice and moral order (Ephesians 4:14-15). These are not opposing forces but interdependent aspects of a biblical worldview. Love without truth becomes sentimentality, while truth without love becomes harshness. Faithful political engagement requires holding both in tension, seeking justice for the marginalized while upholding God's timeless moral standards.

Rejecting false dilemmas. The polarized political landscape often presents Christians with false choices, forcing them to choose between advocating for social justice issues (like poverty or racial equality) and upholding traditional moral values (like the sanctity of life or marriage). Christians must recognize these as false dilemmas created by incomplete or dishonest narratives and insist on a framework that embraces both biblical justice and biblical morality.

Applying the framework. When evaluating political issues, Christians should ask how love compels them to act for the well-being of others (especially the vulnerable) and how truth requires adherence to God's revealed moral order. This framework allows for disagreement on specific policies but excludes positions that clearly undermine human dignity, promote injustice, or deny fundamental biblical truths.

4. Critique political ideologies (progressive/conservative) through a biblical framework, avoiding indoctrination.

Our adherence to progressivism or conservatism must be subordinated to the guidelines of the Word.

Ideologies are flawed. Neither political progressivism nor conservatism perfectly aligns with the gospel. Both have strengths and weaknesses when viewed through a biblical lens. Progressivism may emphasize justice and challenging oppressive systems but can sometimes erode traditional moral order or dismiss timeless truths. Conservatism may emphasize moral order and limited government but can sometimes overlook systemic injustices or lack compassion for the vulnerable.

Avoiding indoctrination. Christians must not allow their political party or ideological tribe to become the ultimate authority shaping their values and opinions. Seeking validation from worldly sources can lead to compromising convictions for political expediency or social acceptance. Instead, Christians must critically assess all political positions based on biblical standards, being transformed by the renewing of their minds (Romans 12:2) rather than conforming to worldly patterns.

Independent thought. Faithfulness requires Christians to defy both progressive and conservative orthodoxies when they conflict with biblical principles. It is intellectually lazy and unfaithful to blindly adhere to one party's platform on every issue. Christians should be able to articulate their positions based on biblical reasoning, even when it means disagreeing with their political allies, remembering that their ultimate validation comes from Christ.

5. Partner strategically with non-believers (cobelligerents), maintaining Christian identity and critical thinking.

“I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”

Partnerships are necessary. Engaging in a diverse, democratic society often requires Christians to work alongside non-believers to achieve common goals in the political and cultural spheres. Avoiding all contact with those outside the faith is practically impossible and would prevent Christians from being salt and light in the world (1 Corinthians 5:9-10, Matthew 5:13-16).

Cobelligerence, not full alliance. While Christians can share an ultimate alliance only with fellow believers, they can work as "cobelligerents" with non-believers who take the right position on a single issue due to common grace. Historical examples like Ezra and Nehemiah working with Persian kings or the civil rights movement coalition demonstrate the potential for fruitful partnerships across faith lines.

Strategic engagement. Christians must enter partnerships with non-believers strategically and conditionally, not naively. This involves:

• Knowing your own convictions and identity in Christ.
• Researching partners' values, motivations, and long-term goals.
• Clearly defining shared objectives and values.
• Identifying differences and conflicting views.
• Maintaining critical thinking and being willing to critique partners' tactics.
• Refusing to be indoctrinated or seek validation from non-Christian sources.

6. Be wise about political messaging and rhetoric, avoiding deception and dehumanization.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Words matter in politics. Rhetoric and messaging are powerful tools in the political arena, used to persuade, galvanize, and influence public opinion. Leaders throughout history have used words to inspire hope or incite hatred. Christians are called to use their words faithfully, speaking truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) and avoiding the deceitful scheming common in politics (Ephesians 4:14).

Discerning deceptive language. Political language often employs vague buzzwords, misleading slogans, and oversimplifications to manipulate public perception. Names of policies or organizations may not accurately reflect their substance or consequences. Christians must exercise healthy skepticism, dig deeper than superficial messaging, and demand clear explanations rather than accepting or reacting based on catchy phrases or emotional appeals.

Avoiding dehumanization. A dangerous tactic in political rhetoric is dehumanizing opponents, portraying them as purely evil, stupid, or irredeemable. This strips individuals and groups of their human dignity, making it easier to justify mistreatment or dismiss their concerns entirely. Christians are called to love their enemies (Matthew 5:44) and must resist the temptation to engage in demeaning language, even when confronting genuine injustice or disagreement, remembering that vengeance belongs to God (Romans 12:19).

7. Confront racism and racial division within the church and society, pursuing reconciliation.

How can we speak healing into a broken world when we are reflecting the world’s divides?

A historical struggle. The American church has a long and painful history of complicity in or silence regarding racism, from condoning slavery to enforcing segregation. This division contradicts the biblical vision of a unified body of Christ across racial and cultural lines (Galatians 3:28, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). The church's failure to overcome racial divides severely damages its credibility in a broken world.

Confronting racism biblically. Addressing racism requires humility, grace, and a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths about history and present realities. The "colorblind" ideology, while seemingly well-intentioned, can prevent acknowledging and addressing the ongoing effects of systemic racism and disparities. Christians must see and discuss race to work towards solutions, recognizing that God's vision includes redeemed racial diversity (Revelation 7:9-10).

Pursuing reconciliation. Racial reconciliation is a process rooted in the gospel, requiring intentional effort beyond mere sentimentality. It involves:

• Awareness: Understanding the history and present realities of race and racism.
• Relationships: Building genuine connections across racial lines to break down caricatures.
• Advocacy: Working together on issues of justice based on shared Christian principles.
• Active Reconciliation: Pursuing mutual wholeness, flourishing, and shared resources.
  This process allows Christians to demonstrate the transformative power of the gospel in overcoming deep societal divides.

8. Advocacy and protest are biblical tools for justice, requiring strategy and right motives.

Our political actions should be honest, humble, respectful of human dignity—even of those we disagree with—and free from guile.

Tools for engagement. Advocacy (working to influence decisions) and protest (publicly registering disapproval) are legitimate and necessary tools for Christians to pursue justice and improvements in society through the political process. In a representative democracy, these actions are ways citizens manage their elected servants and ensure their voices are heard.

Biblical examples. Scripture provides examples of God's people using these tools:

• Moses and Aaron: Advocated repeatedly to Pharaoh for Israel's release.
• Esther: Advocated to King Xerxes to save the Jewish people from genocide.
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: Protested by refusing to worship the golden image.
• Jesus: Protested by cleansing the temple and by writing in the dirt to challenge the stoning of the woman caught in sin.

Strategic and ethical approach. Effective advocacy and protest require more than just passion; they demand strategic thinking and adherence to Christian ethics. Actions should flow from a clear strategy that identifies goals, decision-makers, allies, and resources. Tactics must focus on impacting the decision-maker, highlight the specific goal, be feasible for the team, and disturb the status quo without resorting to deceit, disrespect, pride, or violence. The motivation must always be to help others, not to punish opponents.

9. Cultivate civility in political engagement, recognizing human dignity.

All incivility is, at its root, preceded by dehumanization.

Civility as public politeness. Civility refers to the norms of public decency and how we treat one another in the public square, including respecting disagreement and acknowledging the dignity of others, even opponents. It is a form of public grace that is essential for healthy political culture.

Incivility's roots. Incivility stems from a failure to recognize human dignity and often develops from "contact without fellowship," leading to unsympathetic views, ill will, and ultimately public hatred. This is exacerbated in modern politics by ideological self-segregation and media that highlights the worst of opponents, making it easy to dehumanize those with different views.

Cultivating civility. Christians are called to repay evil with blessing and seek peace (1 Peter 3:9-12). Cultivating civility requires:

• Grounding engagement in service, not self-interest or antipathy.
• Approaching issues with humility, recognizing the limits of our own understanding.
• Exercising patience with those who see the world differently.
• Avoiding deception and manipulation.
• Holding ourselves and our allies to
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Last updated: June 12, 2025