As election season approaches, Christians must remember where our true allegiance belongs.
Last week I watched a disturbing video from a political rally in Youngstown, Ohio, that left me very disheartened.
During a rally for President Donald Trump, a woman protesting in the crowd was physically attacked by several men. As the confrontation unfolded, Trump responded by claiming the woman was a paid protester and making derogatory comments about her appearance, referring to her as a “fat guy.”
Watching a woman being physically assaulted while the crowd chanted “USA” and the president mocked her made me extremely sorrowful for us as a people.
And as a follower of Jesus Christ, I couldn’t help but wonder: How have we gotten to a place where behavior like this can happen in political spaces that some people so closely associate with Christianity?
Regardless of what the woman was protesting, how she expressed herself, or whether anyone agreed with her, what happened was wrong. And no political affiliation should make that difficult for us to acknowledge.
This isn’t about being Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. It’s about our identity as followers of Jesus Christ and whether our lives reflect the One we claim to serve.
When Our Political Allegiance Overshadows Our Faith
We’re in another election season, and if the past several elections have taught us anything, it’s that political tensions can bring out some of the worst in people.
I believe it’s important for Christians to exercise our right to vote, stay informed, and participate in the processes that govern our communities and nation. The decisions made by elected officials have real consequences for people’s lives, and we shouldn’t ignore that.
But somewhere along the way, I think some of us have allowed politics to occupy a place in our hearts that was never meant for anything or anyone other than Christ.
We’ve become so invested in political parties, candidates, and ideologies that we sometimes struggle to recognize when the behavior we’re defending contradicts the very teachings of Jesus.
Scripture reminds us in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in heaven. This world is our temporary home. Its systems are imperfect, its leaders are flawed, and no political party has the power to bring about the righteousness and redemption that only Jesus Christ can provide.
We can care deeply about what happens in our country without placing our hope in the people who govern it.
Our faith should shape how we engage with politics. Politics should never determine how we practice our faith.
We Will Know Them by Their Fruit
Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:15-20 that we will recognize people by their fruit.
And Galatians 5:22–23 reminds us that the fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When we look at what happened in Youngstown, where do we see those qualities? Where was the gentleness, self-control, or love for another human being created in God’s image?
I’m not suggesting that Christians must agree with every protester, support every cause, or remain silent when they believe something is wrong. But disagreement never gives us permission to abandon Christlike character.
And we should be especially concerned when cruelty, humiliation, or violence is excused simply because the person responsible supports a political candidate or cause we favor.
I also think we need to be careful about confusing political agendas with the work of God’s Kingdom. Even when political movements promote causes that align with some of our biblical convictions, that doesn’t automatically make their methods, motivations, or leaders Christlike.
Politics is ultimately concerned with gaining influence, exercising power, and governing earthly systems. Following Jesus calls us to something different: surrendering ourselves to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and lives.
Those two things are not always going to align.
Don’t Allow the World to Distort Your View of Christ
One of my greatest concerns is how easily we can be deceived into believing that defending a political party or leader is somehow equivalent to defending Christianity. It’s not.
The enemy would love nothing more than for believers to become so consumed with the world’s divisions that we begin reflecting its anger, hostility, and pride instead of the character of Christ.
Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. That includes the way we think about politics.
We should be able to acknowledge wrongdoing even when it comes from someone we voted for. We should be able to show compassion to someone whose beliefs are completely different from ours. And we should be able to stand firm in our convictions without becoming cruel, hateful, or violent.
If our political loyalties make it difficult to do those things, perhaps it’s time to examine what has captured our hearts.
Our Hope Has Always Been in Christ
As we prepare to vote and navigate another tense election season, I hope we’ll remember that no election outcome changes who God is. No president, political party, or government can take the place of Jesus Christ.
And while we have a responsibility to engage with the world around us, we must remember that we are called to live differently within it. That means choosing love when the world encourages hatred. Practicing self-control when emotions run high. Extending kindness when others are being ridiculed. And refusing to excuse behavior that contradicts God’s Word simply because it comes from someone on our preferred political side.
I’m not writing this because I believe Christians should withdraw from politics. I’m writing it because I believe our witness matters far more than any political victory.
The world should be able to see something different in those of us who profess to follow Jesus. Not perfection, but a genuine desire to reflect His character, even when it’s uncomfortable or costs us something.
We can participate in the political process without allowing politics to become our identity. We can stand for our convictions without abandoning compassion. And we can care about the future of our country while remembering that our eternal hope rests in Christ alone.
As believers, may we never become so devoted to the things of this world that we lose sight of the One we’re called to represent
