3. Be Humble Enough to Listen
Slide 4 of 5
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
The truth is there are many reasons why a person chose to vote the way they did. Coming to a place of unity means trying to understand someone else’s position. When you begin a conversation with “How could you have voted for…” or “If you cast your vote for the other side God is coming for you,” these are not statements of understanding but statements of judgment. This type of thinking will not create and bring unity because you immediately put someone in a defensive position.
If there is going to be unity we must be willing to listen and understand without casting judgment. There are people in the church whose situations and realities are quite different than yours. These situations and realities impact how they vote. By the way if these people are not a part of your church or your circle that is part of the problem.
If we all follow James’ command and really be quick to listen, slow to speak or become angry, then we will take giant leaps forward in bringing unity into the church.
4. Realize There Are Other Issues That Matter Too
What I am about to say may be shocking to some of you, but there are many moral issues to deal with in our society. I know abortion and marriage seem to get the most attention, but they are not the only ones.
In Matthew 23 Jesus told the Pharisees something interesting.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23).
Jesus was not disparaging them for tithing, he was calling them out for not addressing some of the other issues. If we are going to be the church and really bring unity, we must recognize that as important as abortion and marriage are there are other issues that are just as important. This doesn’t mean we don’t fight for abortion or marriage; it means we do that while not neglecting the other issues.
You must also recognize that many of these other issues are what led your brothers and sisters in Christ to have different political views and to vote differently than you. This does not make them right and you wrong, or you right and them wrong. It simply means that for some reason, which is right and reasonable to them, they have a different point of view. That difference cannot become a standard of judgment.
A person who voted Republican is no more or less a Christian than one who voted Democrat. Neither is someone who voted Democrat more or less a Christian than someone who voted Republican. The last time I checked, how you vote in an election or your political party affiliation does not determine your Christianity. What you believe about Jesus does.
Here is the question. Will you allow yourself to see those with different political views with grace? If yes, then unity is possible. If not, then the church will remain divided. Remember the words of Paul.
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).
Photo credit: Unsplash/Jonathan J Castellon
