Voting Out of Fear

This is an election year. No, this isn’t a blog about who you should vote for. It is a blog about why we often vote the way we do... and shouldn’t.

Tim Alberta, in his sweeping look at the state of American Evangelicals, writes of the motivation of fear, and how there are many who realize this and thus commit themselves to trying to scare Christians. Writing of one conference he attended, he noted that for three days.

... thousands of believers were told that their children were being groomed; that their communities were under invasion; that their guns were going to be confiscated; that their medical treatments were suspect; that their newspapers were lying to them; that their elected officials were diabolical; that their government was coming after them; that their faith was being banned from public life... that their nation was nearing its end.

And it works. As Cal Thomas, once a leader of the Moral Majority, noted, “You can’t raise money on a positive note. If the goal is bringing in money, you have to scare them.”

Fear doesn’t just motivate—fear clouds your judgment. If you give in to fear and develop a mentality that you are under siege you give in to an “anything goes” mentality. As Alberta concluded at the end of observing the three-day event: “Character didn’t matter. Truth didn’t matter. Honor and integrity didn’t matter. Those were means, and all that mattered was the ends: winning elections.” When fear rules, then what you fear – defeating it, avoiding it – becomes the ultimate aim.

Contrast that with these words from theologian John Dickson:

I’ve spent time with underground pastors in China and the amazing thing about them is how cheerful they are.... I’ve been with pastors who have all been to prison—one of them three times. But they’re not afraid, they’re not paranoid. They are genuinely cheerful. Because they think, “Well, if I go to prison, there will be more people for me to preach the gospel to.”

Dickson notes that much of what drives evangelicals in America is “fear that we’re losing our country, fear that we’re losing our power.” He rightly adds, “and it’s so unhealthy.” One reason is because ultimately, those are not the things that matter most. But the primary reason is because, as Christians, we are not to be driven by fear at all. In fact, “fear not,” in one form or another, is listed nearly 365 times in the Bible which, coincidentally(?), is how many days there are in a year. For example:

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, NLT)

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (II Timothy 1:7, NLT)

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (I John 4:18, NLT)

“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34:4, NLT)

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, NLT)

“Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.” (Proverbs 29:25, NLT)

I understand the emotional impact of cultural turbulence. It can be unnerving and disconcerting and challenging to anyone’s faith. Yet it reminds me of an article I once read that was written by a commercial airline pilot about the nature of turbulence. He wrote how turbulence is normal and generally harmless. That it feels way worse than it actually is. In truth, it’s almost impossible for a plane to get flipped upside-down, thrown into a tailspin, or otherwise flung from the sky by even the mightiest gust or air pocket. 

In other words, no matter how bad it might feel, the plane is not going to crash. Not from turbulence. In fact, it’s normal. So much so that when the pilot changes altitude in search of smoother conditions, it’s by and large in the interest of passenger’s comfort and calm. It’s not because the pilots are worried the wings are going to fall off or they’re going to be air-punched to the ground. They just want to minimize coffee stains and vomit bags.

Each year, worldwide, only about a hundred people are injured through turbulence and half of them are flight attendants. Among regular passengers? Only around 50 people a year. Fifty out of the two billion who fly every year. And you wouldn’t even have those 50 if they would have had their seatbelts on.

Christians have met cultural turbulence head-on for millennia. The worst that could happen? We die and go to heaven. You see, we shouldn’t be troubled by the turbulence. And even if our plane does crash as a result, it doesn’t matter. 

The Kingdom of God is not of this world,

... and we have nothing to fear.

James Emery White

Sources

David French, “What Is Christian Nationalism, Exactly?” The New York Times, February 25, 2024, read online.

Tim Alberta, The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory.

Patrick Smith’s Ask the Pilot, “Turbulence: Everything You Need to Know,” read online.

About the Author

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of CrosswalkHeadlines.

James Emery White is the founding and senior pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church in Charlotte, NC, and a former professor of theology and culture at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also served as their fourth president. His latest book, Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for a Post-Christian Digital Age, is now available on Amazon or from your favorite bookseller. To enjoy a free subscription to the Church & Culture blog, visit churchandculture.org where you can view past blogs in our archive, read the latest church and culture news from around the world, and listen to the Church & Culture Podcast. Follow Dr. White on X, Facebook and Instagram at @JamesEmeryWhite.