LOVING BEYOND POLITICS
It is easy, in our time, to mistake political allegiance for moral superiority. To think that one party holds all virtue, and the other, all error. Yet Jesus, who looked upon a world divided and sinful, calls His followers to a higher way: the way of love.
Consider the company He kept. Among His disciples were zealots and tax collectors—men whose convictions and lifestyles were worlds apart. The zealot sought freedom through rebellion; the tax collector often enriched himself at the expense of others. Yet both were called to walk together, learn together, and bear witness to the kingdom. If Jesus could unite them in purpose, can we not learn to love those whose political views clash with our own?
The problem is rarely merely political. Each of us believes we are standing for righteousness, for justice, for truth. Yet all too often, we overlook the sin, the weakness, the blind spots in our own hearts and in our own party. We shout for justice while nursing pride; we work for freedom while harboring contempt.
To love beyond politics requires humility. It requires seeing others not as enemies to defeat, but as souls made in the image of God. It requires listening more than arguing, extending grace more than condemnation, and seeking unity in Christ more than victory in debate.
We must remember that the gospel does not belong to the left or the right. It belongs to Jesus Christ alone. Our allegiance to Him surpasses our allegiance to any ideology. And it is His love—patient, kind, uncompromising in mercy—that should shape the way we speak, vote, and interact with those around us.
Let us strive, then, to emulate the radical love of our Savior: to embrace the awkward, the irritating, the stubborn, even those whose opinions make our blood pressure rise. Let us ask, “How would Jesus love this person?” and act on that question, even when it costs us pride, comfort, or convenience. For in this, we witness not merely to the truth of our convictions, but to the surpassing power of the love of God.
Lord, teach us to love beyond our politics. Give us eyes to see others as You see them, hearts to extend grace where anger tempts, and lips to speak truth in love. May our witness reflect not our ideology, but Your kingdom. Amen.
BDD
