John Adams served as the Second President of the United States, from 1797 until 1801, having served as Vice President under George Washington. Adams was a learned and thoughtful man, involved with the formation of the US Government, and after the Revolutionary War was among those diplomats who brokered peace with Great Britain.[1] During his time as President, Adams dealt with hostilities abroad that were politically motivated. He also began to see the danger of a two-party political system. He said, “There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.”
Many countries have several, even dozens, of political parties. Take Denmark, where you have Social Democrats, Venstre, Moderates, Union Party, Social Democratic Party, Siumut, Inuit Ataqatigiit, Green Left, Denmark Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives, Red–Greens, Social Liberals, Alternative, and New Right, to name a few. You’ll find the same thing in France, Germany, India, the Philippines, and many more nations. In these countries, various factions come together following elections to form a coalition government, centering on areas of agreement and negotiating among themselves on other issues of interest.
Today, though, the US culture is more politically divided than at any point in our history. Adams’ words are haunting as they have come to pass, with two opposed political parties essentially splitting the country along divergent thought-lines. As the nation grew, the two parties, which were once very similar in their overall goals and objectives, have become increasingly distinct. Instead of many overlapping policies and a desire to work together for the common good, less and less consideration is given by the majority to the minority. During campaign seasons, candidates talk about compromise, “stepping across the aisle” and bipartisan leadership. But in actual governing, our country is as divided as one could possibly be.
The objective for a leader when it comes to politics is not to choose a side and then persuade others to join him there. This creates a situation where about half of the people he comes into contact with will be opposed to him politically, and this will naturally leak into other areas of the relationship. Ephesians 4:3 instructs faith-centered leaders to “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” This clearly points to our role as uniters rather than leaders who would “draw a line in the sand” and stand apart from others. To do so, especially in a political sense, hampers our ability to connect to others personally and spiritually. How then, do leaders in the US bridge this great political, and indeed, cultural divide?
Meet at the dinner table. Bridging divides begins with genuine, personal relationships. Perhaps the most common trait of people on opposite sides of the political spectrum is that they seldom interact with one another in a social setting. Politically divided people are suspicious of one another. We are quick to dismiss others who are ideologically different. One way to find common ground is to find ways to informally meet around common thoughts and needs. Have you ever encountered someone with whom you have a profound political disagreement and thought, “I need to get to know this person?” Probably not, but that is the thinking of a mature faith-centered leader.
Jesus told a parable about the dinner table in Luke 14:12-14, saying, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” The lesson here is to be a blessing to those who cannot repay you, those of lesser means. In this story the dinner table is a means of ministry to those who are unlike your friends, relatives or neighbors.
Open up to opposing viewpoints. In a polarized society, we tend to befriend and associate with only those people with whom we fundamentally agree on a broad range of issues. Social media has amplified the echo-chamber of agreement, giving us the ability to block out opposing views and making it much less likely for us to regularly hear them. The result is leaders who are losing the ability to receive opposing views and be able to relate to those with whom they disagree. Often when genuinely hearing differing political views, we find that a person’s motivation is to do the right thing, but they would go about it in a different manner.
Romans 12:18 instructs us to, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” This is not a call to separate ourselves from our political opposites, but rather to find ways to connect, listen, and grow relationships with them. Culturally, can we still befriend someone we profoundly disagree with? This is the essence of civility—the idea that listening to an opposing view is not the same as agreeing with it. Read Romans 12:18 again—it tells us to live peaceably with all, not just those with whom we agree. A faith-centered leader must be a good listener and practice civility with those who hold opposing views.
Earnestly pray for and want the best for your enemies. In today’s social order, we are told to avoid and take “toxic people” out of our lives. But Jesus had specific instructions for us on how to interact with people with whom we are diametrically opposed. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus commands, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” This is a difficult leadership precept to follow, and it requires a spiritual foundation to successfully live out.
Consider that loving your enemies means setting aside bitterness or brokenness they may have caused you. It also means being empathetic and forgiving toward them. Further, it demands patience and perseverance. These are deeply mature character traits that require a Christ-centered heart and mind because the standard is so unnatural to the leader. Most of us want to see our political enemies defeated. Can you as a faith-centered leader grow a desire to see your political enemies forgiven, befriended and spiritually renewed?
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/john-adams/
American politics is getting more intense and divisive by the day. The democratic tradition of debate and discourse, leading to compromise and unity, is all but gone in the US. Instead, we gather into tribes based on deeply held political beliefs, we deride the opposition.