The Christian vote

This year more people will vote in an election than ever before in world history.

More than 4.17 billion people in 76 countries will seek to elect new governments, which is around 51% of the global population, according to figures published in The Economist. India, Russia and Iran will go to the polls, as well as the UK and the US. In some countries open, fair elections are little more than rhetoric, however the overall impact of this geopolitical moment for the planet could be enormous.

I have been reflecting on how Christians can play our part in this unprecedented year of global democratic opportunity. How can we use our vote for good? How can we promote the building of generous and kind societies? How can we influence the way conflicts in the Middle East, Europe and Africa resolve? How can we help steer the world towards peace?

Jesus once dared to use world-transforming language to a tiny minority of just 11 believers: ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.’ 2,000 years later and that seemingly impossible task of global impact is still bearing fruit with 2.38 billion people identifying as Christians. That’s more than enough people to influence many of the 76 elections this year.

Many politicians in the UK have done the maths too and worked out that the church is definitely worth courting for our votes. They have already begun talking about the issues that have traditionally persuaded Christians to pick a side – sexuality, family, or start- or end-of-life controversies. These go-to topics are often more a ploy to win votes than a genuine engagement with Christian values.

So what are the values we should be looking for instead? And how can we model them ourselves in our own political engagement? Here are the five values that I try to cling to in my work with politicians of every shade.

1. Truth: Christians hold a high regard for truth. Stereotypes, groupthink, tribalism, propaganda, personality, rumour and optics are the common vote drivers, but they mask and eclipse the way things really are. As truth-seekers we aren’t afraid to interrogate politics and robustly weigh up evidence, action and commitment.

2. Grace: truth without grace is cold, just as grace without truth is cowardly. As grace-mongers we can use our voice and our vote as an opportunity to show compassion and empathy, looking out for the needs of those around us and those who are most vulnerable.

3. Hope: choosing to use our vote is an expression of hope – it is a cross in the box that stands for a change for the better. But it is not our ultimate hope. Our confidence is not in the next political party, but in the coming King and His kingdom. Whatever the outcome of the election, whatever the political season, we can engage in politics with positive and hopeful solutions and service.

4. Challenge: when Christians have a reputation for truth, grace and hope, we earn the right to challenge evil. Sometimes, like John the Baptist, we have to courageously call out things that are wrong.

5. Unity: sadly the church landscape both reflects and amplifies the divisions of the political landscape. Jesus’ prayer for unity reveals that when we come together we can change the world. An election is a reminder to make new alliances that are not for personal gain, but for God and the world he has given us to share.

Politics is too often ugly, and I can fully understand the temptation to switch off completely. Voter turn-out amongst young people at the last UK election was at an all-time low, and perhaps for good reason. I often find myself getting cynical and despondent when I see the state of politics around me, and how the vulnerable we are called to care for are too often not just overlooked but stigmatised, exploited and marginalised. But the darker things get, the more our weak light shines out.

This is why it is important that when the time comes, we use our vote well. Whatever happens after that, we still have the glorious hope that ultimately everyone’s vote will be for God Himself to reign: ‘One day every knee will bow, one day every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.’