How am I voting as a Christian in 2024?
This post lays out my personal thinking about voting in the 2024 Presidential Election. It does not represent the opinion of the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (USA), my congregation, or any other institution I am associated with.
As a disclaimer, I am not a member of any political party. As a Chief Election Inspector in Wisconsin, I was required to declare my party affiliation officially, so I am formally “Independent.” I have voted for Democratic, Republican, and Independent candidates in the past.
In 1630, Puritan leader John Winthrop gave a sermon at Holyrood Church in Southhampton, England, before the colonists left to form the Massachusetts Bay colony. Winthrop would later become the colony’s governor for 12 years. In it, he said, “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill.” This phrase is found in Matthew 5:14, the Sermon on the Mount, where the Gospel reads,
”You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden.”
This has been an enduring image in American oratory, used repeatedly by John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and a host of others to describe America. What sometimes gets lost in our national rhetoric about the “City on a Hill” is the context in which this phrase is originally used. Winthrop’s original sermon reads,
“For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.”
It is as much warning as it is promise. Depending on how our society reflects the priorities of God, our nation has the ability to move towards honor or horror. The choice of our leaders is essential.
As Christians in the USA, I believe we have a clear duty to vote. One can articulate a Gospel of separation from “The World,” but that would require you to complete that separation. If you pay taxes, receive Social Security or Medicare, drive on roads, or expect to be able to utilize fire or police services in an emergency, you are not separate from “The World. “ You are complicit in its processes and problems. Therefore, I believe that not voting is refusing to take personal responsibility. Yes, Jesus is about grace, but he’s also big on responsibility. Most of the time, in a political process, finding a candidate that meets every criterion we would want is impossible, but that does not mean we are not obligated to vote. Instead, we are asked to choose the one that best meets those criteria, even if we feel they are lacking in other areas. The world is a messy place, but God loves it, and we don’t get to shirk responsibility simply because no candidate meets our desire for purity.
As a minister of the Gospel, my entire moral life and philosophy is formed around the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and the tradition of the church that has haltingly and imperfectly interpreted and followed those scriptures. My interpretation of those scriptures is always through the lens of the Gospels and the teachings and example of Jesus, and through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Nevertheless, the scriptures are a huge library of texts, and one must always choose some key texts that inform one’s thinking. The two texts that most inform my understanding of what the Christian mission in the world is meant to be are Micah 6:8:
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (NRSV)
and Luke 1:46–46, the Song of Mary, often referred to as the “Gospel in Miniature.”
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” (NRSV)
When looking at candidates, these texts cause me to ask particular questions of them, which might include
DO JUSTICE — Which candidate is most likely to show Justice to all? Does the candidate appear to work for all, or do they show partiality to their own supporters? Can they work in a bipartisan environment?
LOVE KINDNESS — Which candidate shows kindness? Is the person someone who demonstrates empathy with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, even if they disagree with them?
WALK HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD — Understanding that some amount of ego is necessary to survive in public office, which person exhibits ACTUAL humility, i.e. an ability to recognize that they are not the expert in every situation? Do they listen to and take advice from others who may disagree with them? Do they believe in a higher power that causes them to understand the universe does not center on them?
HE HAS BROUGHT DOWN THE POWERFUL FROM THEIR THRONES AND LIFTED UP THE LOWLY; HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS AND SENT THE RICH AWAY EMPTY. — The Gospel, particularly the Magnificat, portrays God as having what is often called a “Preferential option for the poor.” This means that the moral test of any society is how it treats its most vulnerable members. This would include the impoverished, as well as those who lack political power, such as religious and ethnic minorities and immigrants. Does the candidate believe the point of the Constitution is to protect minorities, or is it to enforce majority power? Does the candidate believe society has some obligation to those who benefit less from and are sometimes oppressed by the social and economic systems it has created?
This election cycle, the choice is clear for me. I will be voting for the Harris/Walz ticket. I don’t feel I really need to articulate why at this point, as the ticket that answers the four areas I articulated above best seems self-evident to me.
I hear some Christians state that we should vote for Trump/Vance because they will look after “our” interests best. However, following Jesus is not about creating an “in” group that can be favored. That’s what the disciples argued about on the road to Capernaum before Jesus shut them down (Mark 9:33–37). The interests that followers of Jesus should be invested in are the interests of all humanity, being made in the Image of God. If “We” are looking out for “Our” interests as a discrete group, then we have already lost the Gospel, and the Holy Spirit will find someone else to pick it up.
I realize others may have Gospel interpretations that differ from mine and may lead to different choices this election season. It is not my place to judge choices or those people for making them. Instead, I present this so people can see my reasoning for my vote in the fall presidential election and may think through their choices in a Gospel-informed way. I will not be sharing my opinion from the pulpit or through any church publications, as I believe that the separation of church and state is important for the health of both.
Here’s an election day prayer from Christ Episcopal Church in Bloomfield and Glen Ridge, NJ that I think sums it up:
Most merciful God, whose son Jesus Christ taught us to love and to serve, may we be guided by Your Holy Spirit in this time of decision for our nation. Help us to remember that there are so many around the world who do not have this freedom, and remember too the lives lost to fight for our right to vote here in this democratic republic we call home. Grant us wisdom in our discernment as we choose our leaders, and the grace to accept the results with humility — win or lose. And once the election is decided, give us all the strength and compassion to work to heal this divided nation, that we may be empowered in common purpose to work toward the noble ideals that are the foundation of our republic, and that we may together love and serve the least of these. All this we ask in Your name. Amen.
The Rev. David Simmons, ObJN, is an Episcopal Priest and a pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
How am I voting as a Christian in 2024? was originally published in Preaching from the Rood Screen on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.