by Eddie Pipkin

I voted yesterday, October 31st.  In some ways, it seemed an ironic commentary, the scariest thing I could think of to do on Halloween.  It’s been a tumultuous election season, one in a series of turbulent seasons, and people are antsy.  There is anxiety over the future of the country, whichever side you are hoping wins the presidential election, and there is anxiety in relationships across the board as people navigate fraught conversations and unexpected confrontations.  For most of you church leaders, your main goal will be to promote calm, thoughtfulness, peace, and reconciliation.  It’s a role the local church is uniquely gifted to play, and if ever we had an opportunity to be a harbor of hope and harmony in our troubled communities, now is the time.

I’m not clueing you in on a new phenomenon.  We’ve all been navigating these contentious places for the past few election cycles.  You’ve had plenty of practice at promoting conflict resolution and encouraging people to cross ideological boundaries to build bridges.  The next week will be a culmination of many of those efforts.  You will hopefully see the fruit of your labor (shout-out to Psalm 128:2).  The weeks and months ahead, however, could very well mark a new chapter of divisiveness, so we are taking the opportunity in this space to offer you encouragement.  Keep the faith and embrace the role of peacemaker.  People will be looking for a respite from the cacophony of conflict.  No matter what happens with the vote on November 5th (and the many uncertain days that may follow before we know the outcome), half of the people are going to be distressed.  Those are the people that are going to be on the “losing” side.  But we will also have an important role to play in counseling the people who will be on the “winning” as we counsel them against gloating.

Reassurance will be required by many that it’s all going to be okay if we stay true to who God has called us to be and if we put into practice the tenets of our faith as followers of Christ.

I thought it was great that I came across this article on “The Church and Election Day” from the Lewis Center:

While passions run high in every major election cycle, this year the political climate is particularly fractious and fraught. In our increasingly polarized culture, a congregation can be one of the few places where people with differing political view still come together. Congregations should seek to model civility and respectful dialogue while also helping people see their fears and anxieties in the larger context of God’s enduring promises.

Congregations have a unique opportunity of bringing people together who would not normally connect. The way we model loving our neighbor can leave a lasting impression in a polarized community. Living into this calling means the outcome of the election takes a backseat to the calling of the church to spread God’s love abroad.

What was great about it is that the article was published in 2020!

Its principles still hold true; things certainly haven’t calmed down in the four years since.  There are a few practical ideas in that article, too, if you want to be a resource for people making informed decisions.  Of course, that time has passed for most of us, and what we are really thinking about as leaders at this point is the aftermath of months of drama and tension.

People will be looking for worship that helps them feel reassured, calm, and centered on the good news message of the Gospel.  Here are some ideas for ways to help people use their local church as a resource for reassurance:

  • Lean into those quiet moments of communal prayer in the weeks ahead.
  • Express gratitude whenever possible, in as many forms as possible.
  • Encourage people to show their appreciation for one another and for the institutions that bind us together in common purpose.
  • Sing joyful songs.
  • Provide extra prayer opportunities.
  • Promote civility (and model it as often as possible).
  • Provide biblical examples in your preaching and teaching of peace building, healing, and reconciliation.

We can give folks some valuable practical help as well:

  • Encourage people to take a break from social media.  Less time on screen and more time in the Word.
  • Connect people with tools for navigating difficult conversations.
  • Challenge people to make it a point to forge a connection with someone whose ideas are different, to listen to their story, not simply to argue their points.
  • Direct people to get involved in the causes they believe in, to channel their energy and passion in positive ways rather than just complaining.
  • If you feel ambitious, host a discussion forum in which people talk through issues, focusing more on how people can build bridges and work together.

Of course, in order to help others to, as the Brits say, “keep calm and carry on,” we have to pursue an aura of calm for ourselves.  It’s important that we are not personally fixating too much on the news cycle and corresponding negativity.  Joe Carter takes a deep dive in how to be a touchstone for calm leadership in an article called, “How Church Leaders Can be a Nonanxious Presence.”  If our church is diverse in politics as well as socioeconomics and cultures, we are uniquely positioned in society to bring people together and share perspectives – in fact, we are one of the remaining places where such interactions regularly take place.  Such diversity of political opinions, of course, means that we make ourselves available to people whose perspective differs from our own.  Humility is paramount.  We need to remember our mission to bring people into a deeper relationship with Christ, not to persuade them to a political cause of the moment.

What strategies have you been practicing to guide people through this season of conflict and contentiousness?  What are your plans for the weeks ahead?  How will you give people the tools to deal with their angst and move forward with positivity?  How will you continue to bring people together?  Share your ideas and stories in the comments section below.