I received some helpful feedback on my previous post, "W.W.J.V. What Would Jesus Vote?", that led me to realize I didn't make my biggest point clear enough. My aims had virtually no political motivation, and ultimately I could have (and maybe should have) left politics out of it. The politics of the article were merely a relatable vehicle to make my main point of concern a little more entertaining and enjoyable.
So what's the REAL point of all this?
My main purpose for the article was to comment on a trend I am seeing in American Christianity. The church is no longer looking to (or being) Jesus for world change but instead looking to the political system to solve the world's problems. Sure, the government is big and powerful. Sure, it has enormous influence across the globe and affects billions of people. But, the Kingdom of God is (should be) much more powerful.
Any time I hear, "Christians need to get out and vote!" or, "what we need is a Christian in office!" I can't help but be worried we've taken our trust out of God and placed it in government. Christians see change in the world not by legislating it, but by actually doing something. To me, this push for the importance of voting feels like a new, admittedly much better, form of clicktivism. People can do, and have the responsibility to do, so much more than just stamping a ballot.
Example
For example, I will use the social issue of homelessness. What will have a greater, timely impact on the life of someone struggling with homelessness, the government passing laws or a church/charity going down into the community and loving those afflicted? It's a debatable issue. (Here are some resources from different perspectives (unlabeled) to get you started forming your own opinion: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.) Personally, while I understand the government plays an important role in issues like this, I believe that groups of people (and individuals) can do a better job loving a person and meeting their needs in a way that will positively impact their future than any law will ever do.
Conclusion
While government does play a role, and participation in that system isn't wrong, the church should play the biggest role in solving social issues. We are to be in the world, but not of it. We are to be a Holy people, set apart as children of the Kingdom of God. That is where our priorities should lie: in changing the world through service in the Kingdom of God, not worldly government. Our faith must be placed in God, not government, for our Saviour is Jesus, not a system of man. Stop relying on a system of man to do the things you've been called to do.