Talking politics

Never talk about religion or politics – that’s the rule of polite conversation, I believe. The advice steers us away from talking about things that might cause controversy because controversy can leave people hurt – and it is an inescapable fact that talking politics can indeed be tricky, explosive at times.

Conversation about policies, parties and particular issues can divide brothers and sisters in Christ, it can break relationships and fuel distrust. But as Christians who care deeply about the people around us, who are committed to praying for our leaders (1 Tim.2 v1-2), and who are passionate about justice and protecting the vulnerable (Micah 6v8), it’s quite tricky not to talk about politics. Indeed, whilst temporal things are nowhere near as important as eternal things, the huge impact that governments have on the big issues of our day means that it’s essential to talk politics at least from time to time.

Maybe the advice shouldn’t be over whether we talk about politics or not, but rather on how we talk about politics. And that is an area where many of us – myself included – have much to learn.