If I could vote, I’d vote for…

Although I began my application for citizenship over a year ago, frustratingly I am still merely a lawful permanent resident. I had hoped that I would not only be a citizen but a registered voter by the time November 8 rolled round. But I’m still on a green card and watching from the sidelines.

Apart from two posts that explored (but did not endorse) possible reasons for Donald Trump’s primary victories (here and here), I’ve therefore largely restrained myself from speaking on the presidential election. However, as increasingly large numbers of pastors and Christian leaders have taken very strong public positions, I’ve asked myself, “What would you do if you were a citizen and you could vote?” It’s also a question I’ve been repeatedly asked by others.

So, here’s what I’d do if I could vote.

I’d be planning to vote, and I know who I’d vote for, but I wouldn’t tell you who it is.

I know it sounds cowardly, and I may be accused of abdicating leadership, but here’s my reasoning.

Loss of Gospel Capital
I’ve watched numerous pastors and Christian leaders come out publicly for one of a range of options: voting Donald Trump, voting Hillary Clinton, voting third party, voting a write-in, not voting, voting anyone-but-Trump, or voting anyone-but Clinton.

The immediate result is that a tranche of like-minded people rally to their side; but, in doing so, they also alienate and antagonize even larger numbers of people choosing the other options. In a year when political passions are running such a high fever, I just don’t think that making one’s 2016 choice public is worth the loss of Gospel credibility, Gospel capital, and Gospel opportunity.

Of course, it’s possible that taking a “secret vote” stance may itself carry a cost with some, but I reckon it’s pretty minimal compared to the other options.

There are ministers and Christian leaders who are going to find it very difficult to recover from their 2016 stances. I’ve repeatedly heard people saying or writing that they will never listen to or read Pastor-so-and-so again because of his political stance. I know congregations where people are privately fizzing, and sometimes publicly fuming, because of their pastor’s stated (and even “suspected”) presidential choice. That’s not going to be easily or speedily healed.

I have to be honest, I’ve been pretty annoyed at some people too for their stances, and it’s going to take me a while to separate their political preferences from their ministries and get back to pre-2016 relationships.

Complexity and Confusion
If the choice was morally clearer, then I’d have less hesitation in taking and recommending a public stance. The cost in terms of Gospel capital would be irrelevant. But given the extreme moral complexity surrounding each option, is it worth risking the loss of Gospel usefulness for the sake of making one’s presidential preference public?

People who know me best, and whom I trust, know which option I would take. We’ve talked about it a lot as a family and watched just about every debate since the primary season began. But I’ve also asked my children at various points to keep their parents’ views private so as not to create unnecessary barriers to and distractions from the Gospel.

So, although I cannot cast my ballot on November 8, I have been praying for all who will. I’ve also been praying for God to overrule everything for the good of his church. And now I’ve begun to pray that God would minimize the damage to Christian leaders and ministries whose controversial political stances have put them at odds with other Christians. May God grant a sense of perspective when the dust settles and enable us to seek peace and pursue it, for the glory of God and the advance of the Gospel.