Tomorrow we go out and vote for our next president. Hopefully we can agree that our options aren’t great. In fact, this whole election season has me a little crazy. I came pretty close to deleting my Facebook account until all of the articles and arguments blow over.

And I get it, because we are a passionate, diverse people group. We are all shaped by different life experiences and possess a need to feel seen and heard. We believe deeply in our convictions, and we aren’t going to stand on the sidelines silently. We are going to fight for those causes that we believe in, and we should. I’m confident that the Lord wants us to be engaged in the world, to be advocators for the helpless and hurting. We shouldn't shy away from the hard things. 

But can we just take a deep breath for a second?

I want to write to you gently today, dear friends, and I’m writing as much to myself as I am to you. Because there are people out there pledging the end of real, long-time friendships based on political disagreements this season. There are people spewing hateful words and casting stones from behind screens. There are hearts being broken because of a believer’s words and labeling of them. Can’t you imagine that Satan is loving every second of this chaos? 

Sure, I think a lot of us are afraid. We are afraid that Roe v. Wade will never get overturned, that we will stop caring about those in poverty, we will stop loving on gays and African Americans and white-collar workers and refugees. We are afraid that the government will take all of our money or they won’t take enough of it, or that the United States will never be the great country it once was.

And although we are confident that the Lord is sitting on His throne, mostly I think we are all just trying to love people the best way we know how... we just get a little off track sometimes. Underneath it all, we are trying to be faithful to what the Lord has called us to on this earth, in this specific time and place. I think (and hope) most of us have done our research; I think we take our voting rights seriously and we are attempting to make our country the best version of itself.

I believe a lot of us truly want what’s best for our neighbors. Friend, may we never lose sight of the supreme Truth: what’s best for them is Jesus.

So however you think the advancement of the Gospel can prevail in the best way—vote for that. However you believe you can best show Christ’s love to the helpless—vote for that. Stand up for life—in the womb and out of the womb and in the church and out of the church. Stand for or against the policies and laws that you believe in upholding or dismissing according to Scripture. As we know, there are big consequences in this election, and must hold fast to our convictions. We must hold fast to the Word of God. 

I’m not here to tell you whom to vote for, because I think you’re capable of making your own decisions. I’m just here to tell you that no matter whose name you check on that ballot, I still love you and your perfectly imperfect self. I know that sounds silly and ideological, but it’s true.

In the end, when we’re standing in front of the throne, we only have to answer to one Guy. In the end, there’s only one Judge. It’s not the media or our work friends or our favorite Christian writers. We must answer to the God who gave up His Son for us, who loves us in the dark places and in the light, who hands out forgiveness to the least deserving of us. So however you think you can best glorify the beautiful, magnificent Creator of the universe—vote for that. 

Keep fighting for what you believe in, but never let it overshadow Whom you believe in. Keep showing up in love and mercy and grace, like our Father shows up for you.

There’s always room for you here,

Alex