EDITORIAL
From the Editor | Ed Stetzer
During one September not too long ago, I witnessed one of the most beautiful expressions of the power of the gospel I’ve ever seen. Upwards of 5,000 delegates have traveled from 200-plus countries to Seoul, South Korea, for the fourth Lausanne Global Congress. Evangelicals from all over the world are worshipping together in multiple languages, unified by a shared faith that resonates in every culture. I’m struck by the contrast between these two images: the unifying power of the gospel on display and the polarization in the church that has gripped our nation and culture in recent years.
Earlier this month, we reached the end of a contentious national election cycle, and screens all over America continue to boil over with incendiary language about “the other,” “those people,” “them,” as voices on both sides of the political aisle are raised to a fever pitch, a phenomenon contributing to outrage and polarization in Christian life.
I’m struck by the contrast between these two images. On the one hand, the unifying power of the gospel put on display, and on the other the polarization that has gripped our nation and culture in recent years, a dynamic that calls for both a learning from global church polarization and a renewed commitment to a Gospel-centered response to outrage.
Despite the call of Christ to unity, many churches sadly reflect the polarization we see in the broader society. We must address this disconnect. To do that I want to dig deeper into the roots of polarization, its impact on the church and pastors, and some ways we can respond.
Why Can’t We Just Get Along?
Polarization didn’t show up overnight. It has resulted from several social, cultural and technological changes brewing for decades. Several broad social and cultural shifts have contributed to the divide. For example, over the past few decades, many Americans have experienced a sense of alienation—particularly conservative evangelicals—feeling that their values are being marginalized in an increasingly secular society. This sense of alienation has been compounded by the rise of identity politics and more religious groups aligning with specific political parties.
Another key driver of polarization is technology, such as social media and other digital platforms. Such tools have transformed the ways we communicate. Specifically, they allow people to connect with others who share their views while isolating themselves from those who think differently—when they’re not lobbing tagged attack posts at them. Social media has created echo chambers, deepening divisions and entrenching people further into their ideological positions. The algorithms that power these social platforms are designed to maximize engagement, often prioritizing content that provokes strong emotional responses—often outrage, fear or hatred. As a result, the most extreme voices often drown out more moderate perspectives, making it harder for people to engage in constructive dialogue.
The broader technological context also contributes to the divisions with news outlets, blogs and podcasts. The fragmenting of media and attention has led many media outlets to try to carve out a niche with specific “tribes” or audiences. Such media profit from reinforcing rather than challenging the audience’s existing beliefs. In this context, people do not just consume different content. They practically live in different worlds.
Overcoming Outrage
I’m especially concerned about how our broader social polarization has influenced the church. Sadly, the church is often as divided as the culture, with political affiliations shaping Christians more than the gospel. Such symptoms have divided congregations and even denominations, reflecting deeper spiritual issues. Trusting political ideologies over the kingship of Christ places our trust in earthly powers and kingdoms rather than God and his kingdom. Such misplaced loyalty becomes a form of idolatry, because politics becomes more important to us than our relationships with God and our fellow believers.
As a result, a culture of outrage and division has infiltrated the church. Even justifiable outrage can be dangerous, because it easily morphs into self-righteousness. When we care more about winning arguments than worshiping as one body or winning the lost, we have lost sight of the gospel and the mission God has given to us.
Pastors can be tempted to align too closely with a partisan political agenda or ideology. While this problem has always challenged pastors, it has become even more challenging in recent years. When the church overtly aligns with a political party, it risks losing its prophetic voice. God calls the church to speak truth as the conscience of the state, while not aligning with the interests of the party. A desire for good influence can become a desire for political power, betraying the power of the gospel. We can also alienate people in our churches, both members and attenders, missing opportunities for gospel ministry.
We must remember that no political party fully embodies the beliefs of the kingdom of God. Our ultimate allegiance is always to Christ and his kingdom. Even our coins say, “In God we trust.” But are we displaying trust in God when we are triggered as easily as the general population?
The church and pastors must respond to our culture of polarization, and here are four ways to do that.
1. We must repent of allowing our politics to shape lives more than the gospel. If we have made the polarization and division worse, we need to repent. Repentance both acknowledges what we’ve done wrong, and it commits to turning toward a new way of living. We must commit to the unity and mission of the gospel. We must have hard conversations, humbly recognizing that we don’t have all the answers and that others may have valuable insights to offer. For too many evangelicals it is easier to boldly express our convictions about an issue than to humbly admit our own struggles and times we fall short of those convictions.
In practical terms, this might mean rethinking how we approach certain issues within our congregations. For example, rather than framing discussions about political or social issues in terms of left versus right, we should frame them in terms of how they relate to the teachings of Jesus, the truths of Scripture, and the mission of the church. This shift in perspective can help to de-escalate tensions and create a more constructive environment for dialogue. The kingdom of God is not just a future hope but a present reality. Love, justice and reconciliation characterize the kingdom, and these values are very different than the division and polarization of our world. As kingdom citizens, God calls us to the work of reconciliation, both with him and with one another.