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The election’s over… but for some, the anxiety, anger, and division didn’t end with the campaigns.
And the angst is bound to bubble up around the holidays. As believers board planes, pull out the dusty china, pass the gravy, and yell for (or at) uniformed athletes on TV, they’ll face opportunity after opportunity to counter the angst with hope.
But those opportunities with anxious and angry loved ones are often the conversations we dread most. Maybe they’ve gone poorly in the past, or maybe we feel too uninformed or ill-equipped to contribute.
To replace the dread with hope, remember the goal: representing Christ. Our aim is to be good ambassadors.
In political conversations, Christians often forget that our posture is just as important as our positions. By that, I mean that understanding the facts and having the “right” policy opinions is meaningless if that knowledge is not accompanied by love. Remember what Paul said in the famous passage that does, in fact, apply in more contexts than a wedding:
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.” | 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 NLT
Or again here,
“But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.” | 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 NLT
Being right is not the goal. Winning the argument is not the goal. Representing Christ well is the goal. As you gather with family and friends this holiday season, keep these tips in mind to maintain a Christlike posture:
Prepare for inevitable political conversations.
You know it’s going to come up. Grams will share something she heard on Fox. Uncle Joe will counter with something he read on CNN. And then things start to spiral.
You don’t have to be an encyclopedia of political knowledge to be able to speak into the conversation. Think in advance about some positive and negative things you could say about each political party, modeling humility. Focus on people and their needs, modeling compassion. Speak respectfully about politicians and those who disagree with you, modeling love. And keep your focus on the big things—your mission and eternal home—modeling hope.
Be curious and ask questions.
Jesus asked a lot of questions despite, you know, being God. Questions encourage reflection and provide an opportunity to understand your conversation partner better, and understanding leads to compassion.
Remember the wisdom of James, who tells believers,
“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness” | James 1:20 NLT
Apologize where you can.
If you’ve had a conversation about politics in the past that didn’t go well, own where you were wrong: where you spoke harshly, where you assumed you knew better, or where you valued the wrong things (like politics more than Jesus).
“The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy” | Proverbs 28:13 NLT
“Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect” | James 5:16 NLT
Nothing diffuses a situation and brings healing like an apology.
Know when to shut it down.
Disagreements happen, and respectful debate can be a great learning opportunity. But no one benefits when a conversation about politics is going in circles while frustrations mount.
Use your discernment to gauge whether a conversation is fruitful—whether it’s building others up.
“No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear… Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” | Ephesians 4:29-32 NLT
If it’s not building others up, respectfully redirect or end the conversation.
Believers, bring the aroma of Christ into homes filled with the smells of roasting turkey, pumpkin pie, pine, and peppermint. As we talk politics around the table, I hope that our humble, Christlike posture will please the King of kings and make His goodness known.
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in Christ’s triumphal procession and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of him in every place. For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing… We speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God.” | 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 NLT
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