I recently made a post on Facebook (on my personal, not the Mission Services wall) that the current uproar and hurling of allegations about the choices of political candidates distresses me. It has never been a secret that I am a political “animal.” Making a choice to vote on issues is not a problem for me. However, the accusations that Christians are literally “throwing around” have the potential to split the church moving forward.
I wrote, “Can we back away from postings that at least imply Trump supporters are voting without thought? Can we restrain ourselves from calling into question the Christian commitment of those who have chosen to vote for Clinton? Is it possible for us to speak to one another without destroying relationships and questioning each other’s moral compass?…Once this is over, we must unite for a great America and an even greater cause, the Glory of God. If we continue the ad hominem attacks toward those who disagree with us, relationships will be destroyed & unity may be impossible.”
Disagreements within the body of Christ have always been around, and they have often become dangerously personal. Acts 6 and Acts 15 record for us two such times that called for a “meeting of the minds!” Paul recorded, for all of history, a very public dispute he had with Peter (Galatians 2:11ff). The political disagreements of today are fierce. The consequences of the matters before the people of the USA will bear significance for generations. However, as Steven Covey is quoted (I do not believe it originated with him), “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.”
The glory of God is more important than our political positions (no matter how much we think our opinions are grounded in Scripture). We can firmly stand upon God’s truth, but we should keep in perspective that our opinions about what it says are not Scripture. Nothing would make Satan happier than to keep Christians arguing with one another about political candidates. May we seek the wisdom of God as the Apostles did in Acts 6 and the “council” did in Acts 15. The eternal souls of the lost are at stake (in my opinion).
