Voting as a Sacred Witness

Voting, it’s been said, can be a kind of prayer for the world we seek. On Nov. 5, 2024, Americans will go to the polls to cast their ballots for elected officials at all levels of government. With their votes, they’ll be making choices that will shape our communities, influence justice, and transform the world. 

United Methodists have a rich history of social action that is woven into love of neighbor and the Wesleyan call to “do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.”

The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Us

A Message from Bishop LaTrelle Easterling on Political Participation

[Jesus] went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day, he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to
proclaim good news to the poor.
he sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 
 -- Luke 4:16-21

 Beloved of God, 

 Grace and peace to you. As we prepare as a church and a nation for the pivotal election on Nov. 5, we stand on the edge of an opportunity. As I stated prior to the presidential election in 2020, our constitutional republic, supported by a democratic form of government, affords every eligible individual in the United States the right to vote. That right is central to our way of life. Our democracy is founded on the belief in a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Prior to 2021, many Americans had not witnessed first-hand violence or civil disobedience arising from an election cycle. Some did not think it was possible within our borders. It is lamentable, but that naïveté has been replaced with the lived experience that we are not immune from political unrest and that a peaceful transfer of power is not guaranteed.

Therefore, people of faith are called to lift their voices and bodies to pray, create spaces for free and civil discourse and continue to be stewards of justice.

Our Social Principles state, “Our involvement in political systems is rooted in the Gospel imperative to love our neighbors, to do justice, and to care for the vulnerable. As United Methodists, we acknowledge that love requires responsible political action and engagement aimed at the betterment of society and promotion of the common good.” While partisanship is inappropriate within the faith community, our Social Principles encourage churches, “to equip their members to be effective advocates for justice in the wider world.” We live beneath the promise and power of our discipleship when we harmonize Christianity with injustice.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to be good stewards of our liberties and our pain. Just as Christ stood and intentionally read from the prophet Isaiah in establishing his ministry and his public witness, he also cautioned his disciples that violence was never the answer. He admonished that violence will only beget more violence. It is antithetical to a cruciform life.

We exemplify responsible stewardship when we engage in healthy discourse, listen for understanding and resist the trap of certitude. We cannot allow our pain, or even our fear, to entice us to violence. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., so aptly taught, we must find a way to peacefully coexist with mutual respect or endure disastrous consequences as the fruit of our division and conflict. Those baptized in the waters of regeneration, transformation and love must always choose the former.

As leaders in the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area, we encourage our clergy and lay leaders to be actively engaged in our democratic process. This is not a time to shrink or regress; rather, this is a time to offer a prophetic and loving alternative to hateful and unjust rhetoric. We are called to be bold witnesses of God’s grace, justice and righteousness. While doing so, we know we are called to a higher standard of engagement and interaction with our neighbors, even those with whom we may disagree.

We are to be visible sacraments in the world; the living, breathing, walking translation of God’s Holy Word. This is paramount because only transformed lives, transform lives.

In this election season and beyond, may we stand in prayer with one another as we live our faith out loud, knowing that God is with us. The spirit of the Lord is upon us.

Blessings and Peace,
Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling
Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area
The United Methodist Church

Resources:

• Sacred Votes Toolkit – Created in partnership with the General Board of Church and Society to assist you in faithfully engaging in the electoral process
• Hourly prayer guide for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election Day - A tool for congregations and individuals to engage in prayer
• UMC Bishops Denounce Political Violence, Authoritarianism – A statement from the Council of Bishops
• Faith and Democracy Statement – Signed by religious leaders
• Faith and Leadership – Election resources for churches from Duke Divinity School
• Election checklist for houses of worship – from Alliance for Justice
• Finding Healing and Peace in a Polarized Political Climate – from UMC.org
• Prayer for After Election Day – from the United Methodist Book of Worship