I’ve been on the road in recent weeks and I’d like to share with you some notes from my travels. Last week, I joined our (new!) friends at Democracy Notes for a thoughtful conversation over breakfast in Chicago. The attendees are involved in the democracy space in a wide variety of ways and it was fascinating to hear about the multi-dimensional nature of the work underway in this burgeoning sector. Many in the audience were not coming from a faith background and I was impressed by their probing questions. 

I believe it is critical for Christians to partner with secular institutions around our common commitment to democracy. Modern democracy (from the 16th century on) is one of the most important gifts that Christianity gave to the world. It is our responsibility to steward this gift, especially when it is under attack from forces falsely claiming the name of Christ. And precisely because democracy is a gift to be shared with everyone – and not just for Christians – we especially need to partner with secular institutions in this cause of preservation.

My travels last week also included stops at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, where David French and I spoke further about the need for people of all faiths to champion a pluralistic society. David made the case for pluralism simply and starkly when he said, “It’s either pluralism or it’s war.” In other words, we either adopt a way to live with each other across differences (which is pluralism) or we seek to subjugate each other. 

On another stop, I presented to a large counseling practice in Chicago where I heard from pastors struggling with anxiety as they seek to lead congregations rife with political polarization that seems to undermine the unity of their faith. As someone who has struggled with anxiety, including during my time as a pastor, it was a gift to encourage those who are very much laborining in the trenches. 

My trip culminated at Wheaton University, where Tim Alberta and I spoke with curious, thoughtful college students who are navigating a political climate that they often experience as messy and intimidating. Going there felt a bit like coming home both geographically (I grew up in suburban Chicago) and spiritually. By spiritual home, I mean places like Wheaton that can center on core Christian convictions while making room to entertain a diversity of opinions that surround that center. That is home for me.

A few other themes emerged across all of these conversations, especially when thinking about the tumultuous political moment we find ourselves in: 

• In person matters. Engaging in political conversations, especially within faith communities, is best done face-to-face in a small-group setting where we can do the hard work of living our Jesus’ call to love our neighbors, even those (or especially those) we disagree with. You may know this if you’re already working through our After Party offerings but, in such spaces, we can move past the posturing that often happens online and embrace an attitude that readily acknowledges “I might be wrong.” This humility opens the door for honest, potentially transformative dialogue and underlines a simple truth: it’s in this real, embodied space—anchored in relationship, not in ideology—that spiritual formation happens best.
• Belonging comes before belief. We are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, and it’s no coincidence that political extremism is rising alongside it. Our fallible human brains are more than ready to accept any illusion of security and, in a rapidly changing world, it’s tempting to trust the voice who shouts the loudest and offers the tidiest explanation for my fear, no matter how extreme (or false) it might be. In contrast, small, trusting communities—like those fostered by The After Party— can remain anchored in relationships where they sense they belong, a prerequisite for engaging across substantive differences in beliefs of all kinds. I’d be remiss to not underline how challenging this work can be. We’ve all been in living rooms and board rooms where we sense “these are just not my people.” When this feeling is magnified, by proximity or social media or both, our human tendency is to run away when what is really called for is to move towards, just like Jesus has modeled so well for us.
• Pluralism has deep roots in Scripture. In some sectors, there’s a sense that pluralism is somehow at odds with the Christian faith or requires believers to dilute their faith convictions. While Scripture does not, of course, explicitly discuss pluralism, there’s no shortage of verses that point us in that direction, including loving the foreigners among us, nations walking in the name of their gods, and the clear command to live at peace with everyone around us. 

The work ahead for the church (and, indeed, for our country as a whole) is hard work, but there are signs of hope. For example, our early research indicates faith communities are not as polarized as the media narrative might indicate and we look forward to digging further into this in the months ahead. In the interim, we’ll lean into what we do know works and invite you to do the same: gather small groups of Christians for real-life time together, probe the truths of Scripture, and do our part to be stewards of the civic life God has given us.

Warmly,

Curtis