EDITORIAL
From the Editor | Ed Stetzer
This past September, 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.
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.
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.
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.
2. Clarity is kindness, so pastors must prioritize biblical clarity. This is especially important as our society debates many cultural and political issues. Pastors must always teach their churches what the Bible says, whether the Bible’s teaching challenges or comforts the hearers. Topics like the sanctity of life, justice, sexuality and the care of the marginalized show up all over the Bible, so pastors must teach on those things. But we must carefully root our teaching in Scripture, avoiding a political party’s talking points. The church does not so much have the role of telling people how to vote, but of helping them think biblically when they do vote.
Teaching the Bible clearly provides Christians with a framework for making political decisions and navigating the political landscape while assessing partisan rhetoric. Pastors must address the issues directly, with faithfulness and kindness. Clarity doesn’t avoid difficult topics or leave Christians unprepared to respond to the challenges of their world. We must recognize the church shouldn’t be an echo chamber, but a “gospel chamber,” one with a heavenly vision (Col. 3:1) than an early victory. The gospel should challenge and transform all of us as a countercultural community that reflects the kingdom of God.
3. We must pursue a winsome witness. The church should be a community gathered from people of different backgrounds and perspectives who worship and serve God together. As we engage our culture with the gospel it’s important to be winsome. Some today think being winsome means compromising our principles. But that is the wrong way to define it. Winsomeness isn’t weakness or compromise. Instead, winsomeness pursues a posture of grace, respect and kindness. Winsomeness seeks to understand before seeking to be understood, listening even—and especially—when we disagree with someone. Winsome engagement can help people in a polarized culture witness the transforming power of the gospel. It is not a political strategy. It is the way of Jesus.
4. We must prioritize unity in the midst of diversity. God cares about the unity of his church. The Bible warns about division and encourages unity throughout its pages. For example, Paul says to the Christians in Corinth, “Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction” (1 Cor. 1:10). The polarization in our society is real, but it should not define the church. Instead, our unity in Christ should define us, transcending all earthly divisions.
Pastors can focus on primary issues that unite believers rather than secondary ones that divide them. Rather than avoiding difficult conversations, we can approach conversations from a biblical perspective, seeking to build bridges. Churches can develop opportunities for people with different perspectives to talk—but more importantly, to listen. Such an opportunity requires a commitment to maintaining the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).
The environment of polarization and tribalism is a big challenge for the church, but it’s also a big opportunity for the church and for pastors to help Christians model a better way forward. If we base our identity and purpose in Christ and his gospel, we will commit to the unity of the church. Then we can resist the pull of partisanship and do the work of reconciliation, pursuing our mission with wisdom, grace and love. Then we will point to the hope that can only be found in Christ. I pray we will reflect God’s heart of love and unity, especially in our polarized world. I know it’s possible, because I saw it in Korea.