5 ways you can put God’s kingdom before your political tribe

We live in an age of extreme polarisation.

Many of us look across the Atlantic at the US elections and worry that the social media-fuelled division is going to affect us here in the UK too.

With that in mind, Christians in Politics has put together this video to help you think about identity and idolatry:

Here are five ways you can respond to this message and put God’s kingdom before your political tribe. 

1. Reach across the aisle  

Political tribes are necessary and useful things. They allow us to work together with those who share our views, and achieve common goals. However, these groups formed along the so-called right and left can easily oversimplify the complex nature of political reality.

Political tribes can become isolationist and inward. It can feel that your tribe is always in the right and that the others have nothing which they can offer. 

Making strong friendships with those in different political traditions allows us to understand the motivations and logic of those with whom we disagree. We can challenge each other’s thinking in the knowledge that neither person is out to get a gotcha moment.

I have dear Christian friends who disagree with me politically, but theirs are the voices I need to hear the most. The combination of trust and honesty allows for some of the most fruitful discussions I have had. 

2. Break the bubble  

Depending on which media outlets you are consuming, you may have a radically different understanding of the same events as the person sitting next to you. This includes your understanding of the facts about what has taken place, as well as how we should respond.

In order to develop a rounded and less polarised view of what is happening in the world it is important to read different news sources, websites, and newspapers. Watch different videos and engage with a range of social media accounts, especially those you would not naturally want to consume. You will not agree with everything, but it may help increase your understanding of the complexities of an issue.  

3. Ground your politics  

As Christians we bring our faith to our politics. Our discipleship to Jesus Christ should undergird everything we do and how we respond to every issue. If it does not, then we lose our greatest strength and biggest witness in the political sphere. We lose the point of our politics.

As Christians we start with the fact that every person is made in the image of God. Everyone is of equal value and incredible worth. God loves us more than we could ever know, and we should love others as an overflowing of that love. Our politics should therefore serve the good of everyone. We can disagree on how best we do that, but our motivation should be genuine, servant hearted love.

We also recognise that God is sovereign, that all things are eventually worked out for his purposes, and that authority derives from him. We can trust that whoever is in power, God is still king. We can hold our political leaders accountable to the one who grants authority without worrying that everything is lost because things are not going the way we feel they should.

Jesus was the perfect mix of tenderness and toughness

4. Speak and act like Jesus

Jesus provides a model of how to engage with people. He proclaimed truth and did not compromise. But he never failed to love those with whom he engaged. It did not matter whether someone was male or female, young or old, rich or poor, or educated or not, he always loved them in the way that he spoke and acted. He even loved those who disagreed with him and tried to kill him. His was the perfect mix of tenderness and toughness which we should seek to emulate.  

5. Show up!

Get involved. We believe that decisions are made by those who show up. So consider how you can become more engaged in the way our society is run, either locally or nationally. 

If you wish to find other Christians who are interested or involved in politics get in touch with Christians in Politics. We run training, mentoring, and support groups where you can find people from both your own political tradition and others to pray alongside and build each other up.