The Politics of Loving Your Neighbor

Continuing The Body Politic series, this message turns to Mark 12:28–34 and Jesus’ answer to a scribe searching for a way through the complexity of Scripture. Jesus brings together the commands to love God and love neighbor, offering a through line for faithful life. The sermon applies that same wisdom to the complexity of politics, arguing that Christians should not escape political life, reduce it to a single issue, or simply surrender their judgment to a party or political leader. Instead, Scripture and the community of the church can form Christians to approach public life with wisdom, humility, and a commitment to neighbor love.

The message explores what neighbor love looks like when Christians exercise political power. A vote and a voice are presented as forms of stewardship, resources entrusted to us that can be used for the good of others rather than simply for ourselves. Particular attention is given to neighbors who can easily be overlooked, including the biblical pattern of concern for the widow, the poor, the immigrant, and the orphan. And political action is expanded beyond the ballot box to include embodied acts of service that seek the flourishing of our communities. Through stories of serving as a poll chaplain and Christian ministry in Mexico, the sermon shows how ordinary acts of faithfulness can transform our common life in ways that political victories alone cannot accomplish.