In the past few months, I have spoken out against the dangerous mentality of “Christian nationalism,” violence toward immigrants and the lawlessness of ICE, racism in political rhetoric, the dangers of disregarding NATO and international law, aggression against Venezuela, and the like.
I do not do this because these are partisan issues. They actually aren’t … no party has been, well, “party” to these things in the past.
I do it because these are gospel issues. They are a matter of life and death. They are about following the Way of Jesus. They are not just about opinions or budget numbers.
I also do it because I am Methodist.
Here’s an excerpt from the Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church in 2026:
“Taking an active stance in society is nothing new for followers of John Wesley. He set the example for us to combine personal and social piety. Ever since predecessor churches to United Methodism flourished in the United States, we have been known as a denomination involved with people’s lives, with political and social struggles, having local to international mission implications. Such involvement is an expression of the personal change we experience in our baptism and conversion.
“The United Methodist Church believes God’s love for the world is an active and engaged love, a love seeking justice and liberty. We cannot just be observers. So we care enough about people’s lives to risk interpreting God’s love, to take a stand, to call each of us into a response, no matter how controversial or complex. The church helps us think and act out a faith perspective, not just responding to all the other ‘mind-makers-up’ that exist in our society.”
