During election season, pastors cannot afford to be silent

Sensationalism. Hysteria. Conspiracy theories. Apocalyptic forecasts. Fear. Worry. Small-group Bible studies digressing into political discussions. Political partisan divides in the congregation. The presidential election season has ramped up.

And my fellow shepherds, we cannot afford to be silent.

First, silence on our part hurts our members. The election season is heavy on our members’ minds, and they are looking for guidance. Our calling is to teach them how to be conformed to Jesus Christ in the real world. And right now, in the culture in which we live, election season is front and center on the radar. What does it mean to look and act like Christ during election season? We cannot and must not ignore the reality in which our members live; instead, we must have the courage to teach them how to think well about election season and how to make Christ-honoring decisions. Silence leaves our sheep vulnerable.

Second, silence on our part hurts our city. Christ’s church is his voice to all of society, not just those inside our churches. As pastors, we are called by God not only to our church but also to our city. Silence on our part is neither inaudible nor neutral; it communicates to the residents of our city that God has nothing to say on the matter of what a society should value and prioritize. Silence leaves our city void of the voice of God.

The question is not if we should speak to the election season, but when and how? May our Chief Shepherd grant his undershepherds wisdom and courage for such a time as this. And to that end, let me point you toward some trustworthy and helpful resources for equipping. I list them here in no particular order:

1. How Should Christians Vote? by Tony Evans

2. Politics – According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture by Wayne Grudem

3. The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission website: erlc.com

4. Russell Moore’s blog: russellmoore.com/blog

5. Barry Creamer’s blog/radio/podcasts: barrycreamer.com

6. Al Mohler’s “The Briefing”: albertmohler.com   

—Nathan Lino is pastor of Northeast Houston Baptist Church