Here in America, political division has reached a dangerous level, including in the church.

Over the last few decades rhetoric has increased to enforce a “sides-mentality”; as in a sporting event, you pick one side to root for, and one against.  In America, most people believe you are either on the side of Democrats or Republicans, and to say “neither” is to be non-committal and unhelpful.  For some it goes further; like the fan sporting their team emblem on everything, their identity and loyalty are bound to their political party, and those they perceive as “the other side” — even moderates — are the enemy.  Realistically, this binary approach is misguided; we all exist on a spectrum of opinions on the myriad of topics that impact our lives and of those around us, and no party can perfectly capture that breadth; however, “sides-mentality” demands we believe only one can.

Perhaps you’ve experienced this with someone holding differing views.  Too often we listen only to respond, not hear; our starting point becomes “Is ____ on my team, or the other team?” and then respond accordingly.  If you say a word that sounds to them like the “other side”, they can lock you into a category that may not actually reflect who you are; I’ve had Christian friends publicly rebuke me because they made false assumptions, simply because they decided I was on the enemy team.  What is sad is I was on their side, just not in the way they expected.

Many Christians who engage politics believe God and Jesus would be on their side.  My friend Boyd often brings up a passage that confronts that in a healthy way:

When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.”
Joshua 5:13-14a (ESV)

Things had gotten tumultuous amongst the people of God, with many openly opposing leadership, policies, and direction; eventually fear and rebellion led to the skewing of God’s will.  Joshua was placed into leadership to guide them through enemy territory to God’s promise, because he faithfully served God amidst it all.  At the cusp of a major obstacle, Joshua encountered a mighty representative of God, and their conversation makes Boyd laugh:

“Are you on my side or my enemies side?”

“No.”

“No” was not an answer to his “which side” question; it is actually deeply revealing.  Joshua is locked into “sides-mentality” — it’s God’s people against the other nations — and this commander was not; the ESV captures his odd response in a beautiful bluntness.  Other versions make it clearer with “neither”, but the Hebrew word לֹ֨א (lō) seems closer to “no”, as though the commander is disregarding the whole mentality behind the question.  He did this because he was aware of something greater than the fleeting battles of men; “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.”

If he had to pick a side, it would not be Joshua’s or his adversaries, but God’s.

At a recent elder meeting, the co-lead pastor expressed a similar sentiment; when engaging with a friend who had strong opposing political loyalties, he desired to break through the which-political-side mentality to say “I’m on the side of Christ…” — though his response didn’t stop there.  He is long-done with the political game influencing the Church, and wants himself, his church, and the Church at large to return to being influenced by God (rather than using God to bolster our stances.)  Since “God is love” and He calls us to love, being on the side of God and Christ can’t stop at beliefs; “I’m on the side of Christ… which means I’m on YOUR side.”  This pastor knew he could be for his friend while holding opposing beliefs!  “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood…” (Ephesians 6:12)

When our identities and loyalties are tied to something outside God, we cannot live out “love God and love others.”  1 John 4:19 tells us that to love at all requires God; “We love because he first loved us.”  Most political discourse reveals we are off track, as the next verse makes clear: “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”  Brothers and sisters in Christ are not isolated to one political party, and the church frequently fails to love across party lines.  Politics can become an idol — even specific leaders — and Scripture is clear that there is no room in a soul for both God and idols; as Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters.”

What are we to do when sides-mentality is cemented in our culture, and the topics within politics are important?

• Be honest about who’s side you’re on.  What does it look like to be primarily on the side of a party or politician?  What does it look like to be fully on God’s side, and does your life reflect that?  Remember, the Pharisees believed they were on God’s side and killed His son, so this question takes deep humble introspection.
• How do we perceive those with different opinions?  Are they image-bearers, or enemies?  Brothers and sisters, or [insert offensive political nickname]?  If Jesus heard your thoughts, would he agree?  Remember, the Teachers of the Law felt justified in villainizing the sinners and tax collectors, and when Jesus didn’t, they villainized him too.
• Is love the basis of our words and actions?  Love here is not simply being nice; it is of eternal consequence.  Jesus was beyond clear that Spirit-led Love was vital and non-negotiable; “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35)  We cannot simply profess we are “speaking the truth in love” (too often, love was not the driver), but actually plead for the Spirit to love through us, especially in the hardest interactions.  Jesus did not make exception: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44-45)  The Sadducees saw God’s command to love in the Torah, and yet justified the persecution of the greatest God-followers.
• Keep politics in perspective.  I am not saying to disregard what is happening in the political realm; in fact, Isaiah 1:17 says, “Learn to do right; seek justice.  Defend the oppressed.  Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”  After the encounter with the commander, Joshua fights many battles.  Scripture is clear that justice is important; it is also clear that the here-and-now will fade away while the eternal remains.  Job 12:23 says “He makes nations rise and then fall, builds up some and abandons others”; if our minds are too focused on what fades, we may ignore the eternal.  The man who healed bodies that would eventually decay demonstrated how to live in that balance.

Perhaps the best thing we can do is what the Commander ordered:

And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.
Joshua 5:14b-15 (ESV)

The commander put Joshua in an incredibly vulnerable position.  There are things that are so important to us that we are perpetually ready to fight, and would never weaken ourselves in such a way.  Despite the risk, Joshua’s desire to honor God was greater; he got down before this stranger with a drawn sword, took off his sandals, and quietly listened for God.

What followed was God revealing the impossible plan to defeat Jericho — marching in circles for days and blowing trumpets — a plan that seemed foolish and futile, but for it coming from the God of the universe.  Today you may see battles in your nation that need to be fought; be aware that sides-mentality can cause us to skew God’s will.  When we like the commander are on the side of God — authentically, humbly, and totally — we may discover an unconventional way forward that is “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” (Ephesians 3:20)