Elections have consequences. Unhinged and capitalistic leadership can lead to rumors of war, separation of families and reckless decisions that entangle people who never should have been involved in the first place.
We are living on the brink of an authoritarian America, and we can see it. This looming threat isn’t only born at the national level; it is also quietly built in overlooked places like school board meetings, sheriff’s races and city council chambers.
Brittini Palmer
Local and state elections, often dismissed as minor or irrelevant, are where much of the groundwork for authoritarianism is laid. From policing and housing policy to what our children learn in classrooms, these decisions shape our daily lives, and the stakes are higher than they seem. We are witnessing proof of this in the redistricting fight in Texas.
And yet, far too often, many Christians remain silent, snuggled in their own lives, staying far removed from the destruction until it comes to their doorstep.
It’s clear: Not every church or person who claims the title of “Christian” truly believes in love and justice. Not everyone who calls themselves “Christian” believes all people deserve access to health care, nutritious food and safe housing. But for those who seek to follow the teachings of Jesus, it becomes unmistakably clear that leadership matters and that unchecked power leads to harm.
“Local and state elections are not separate from the moral and spiritual crises we face.”
This is why local and state elections are not separate from the moral and spiritual crises we face; they are deeply connected. Showing up is a form of resistance, a communal spiritual practice, a tangible act of love for ourselves, our neighbors and the generations yet to come — a deeply Christian act of discipleship.
At the same time, I won’t pretend this is easy.
I have a love-hate relationship with political systems. As a Black woman in America, participating in them often feels like being forced to choose between options that do not truly serve me, my family or the broader local and global community. These systems are slow, corrupt and often rooted in values that stand in direct opposition to the radical care Jesus calls us to embody.
True transformation never will come solely through the ballot box. That’s why, as communities, we must invest in building systems of mutual aid, healing and solidarity, forms of care that politics alone cannot offer. And yet, while politics cannot save us, turning away from it altogether can carry a deadly cost.
People will continue to die if we don’t bring our values into the very systems we are already complicit in. Our elders need housing and medicine. Children need food, safety and education. Elections alone won’t save us, but they can shape the conditions under which we struggle, survive and build. So, we must resist the temptation to disengage entirely. Voting is not the whole story, but it is one chapter of a much larger call: to love our neighbors with both imagination and urgency.
“We must resist the temptation to disengage entirely.”
When you see no trees and unpaved sidewalks, that was a decision. When you cross the tracks and see one community with streetlights and the other without, that was a decision — either a decision to ignore it or a decision that some neighborhoods matter and some don’t. It was a decision to design public housing to look that way and for electrical companies to leave hanging wires for children to play with.
The neighborhood you live in or drive past, the resources you do or don’t have, the quality of the schools, these are not just random. They are the result of political decisions. When Christians disengage, we leave those decisions to people who may not share our moral responsibility and concern for the common good.
The call of Christ is not a call to comfort. It’s a call to care. And that care must show up in how we vote, how we serve and how we hold systems accountable. Civic engagement is not about partisanship. It’s about faith in action. What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to practice steadfastness (Micah 6:8)?
For those who doubt that faith has anything to do with power structures, we only need to look at Jesus. In The Politics of Jesus, Obery Hendricks reminds us: Every decision and policy must be justified by the people’s actual needs and God’s unfailing love for justice. Jesus did not sidestep systems of power. He challenged them, built community and centered the marginalized. He flipped over tables in the temple. He healed people on the sabbath. He called out leaders who used religion to cover up injustice.
“Jesus didn’t separate spiritual life from community life.”
His love wasn’t passive. It was public. Jesus didn’t separate spiritual life from community life. He brought healing to people’s bodies and dignity to people who were cast aside.
That’s what discipleship looks like. It’s not just about what we believe but how we show up. Jesus showed us justice is spiritual. He showed us love is action.
It is not enough for the church to focus only on prayer, worship and theology, while turning away from issues like housing, poverty, school policy or public safety. We must righteously oppose every system, policy and institution that denies any of God’s children the fulness of life they deserve.
Churches can teach, encourage and organize around civic participation as a way to live out our discipleship.
Jesus wasn’t passive, and we shouldn’t be either. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others” (Matthew 23:23).
Justice, mercy and faith aren’t abstract. They show up in how we treat people and how we disrupt and create systems. As Christians, we are called to follow that example. We can’t just gather in worship and ignore the policies hurting people in our cities. Following Jesus means getting involved. Local and state elections give us a way to act, to speak and to advocate for the kind of world God calls good.
Brittini L. Palmer is a freedom writer, preacher, communications consultant and graduate of Virginia Union University and McAfee School of Theology. Follow her on all social media platforms @BrittiniLPalmer.