Building the Beloved Democracy

Six months out from Election Day, it seems our political systems have become increasingly unresponsive to the will of the people. As lawmakers fail to address the biggest questions of our time, those same questions split our communities apart. This can make us feel as though our vote, and our voice, does not matter. But even in this political climate, our voices and votes impact our world. To make a just world for all, we as disciples must be grounded in the love that our faith calls us to demonstrate to the world. We must show God’s radical love in all our actions, including with our votes. When we exercise our sacred right to vote with love, we push back against efforts to constrain the voice of the people and push this nation towards justice.

As the writer of 1 John reminds us, our faith is rooted in God’s radical love, modeled by the teachings, life, death, and resurrection of Christ. God calls us to be people who love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with the Spirit. As we discern the choices on our ballots coming before us in November, let us answer this call at all levels. There will be ballot initiatives in various states alongside the Presidential, House, and Senate candidates. This includes state measures to ban slavery, protect voting rights, raise the minimum wage, support veterans, protect same-sex marriage, fund public education, increase public safety, and protect abortion. By voting on these initiatives, you could significantly impact the laws in your community.

Voting in this year’s elections will have international implications. As the world roils with conflicts in many places such as Gaza, Haiti, and Sudan, eyes around the globe are on the United States. The U.S. history of international involvement is impossible to disregard. The international community awaits to see which path the U.S. will take over the next few years. For the sake of our friends in the Congo, the Philippines, and Ukraine, we must not let our democracy fall in the face of cynicism and apathy, and instead use our vote as an act of hope.

We must also vote to preserve our voting rights which remain under threat. In a Brennan Center for Justice report, 14 states passed 17 new restrictive voting laws last year that will be in effect this election season and place new obstacles for many to access the ballot. Our votes are also under threat from unregulated technology and bad actors online. Despite this, there are still signs of hope. There were 53 laws passed in 23 states last year that expanded access to the ballot. Voting is foundational to the functioning of a democracy and every eligible voter should have the same access to the ballot regardless of where they live. We still must advocate for full restoration of the Voting Rights Act. This year’s Our Faith, Our Vote campaign asks the church to answer the call of 1 John 3:18 to “let us not love with words or speech, but in action and in truth,” by “voting with love.” Vote with love for creation, for our neighbors both here and abroad, for a just peace, for repair and reconciliation of the brokenness of our nation. And encourage your family, friends, and community to do the same. As people of faith, it is our duty to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Proverbs 31:8-9). Let us use our vote to protect and provide for those around us.