My politics don’t conveniently map onto either political party. I think many Christians feel the same way. A lot of things I’d like to see done are not being touted by either party.

I’d like to see some action on climate change commensurate with the actual threat it poses. I’d like to see the U.S. shut off the endless stream of weapons that allow Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to vaporize whole entire blocks and everyone on them. I’d like to see every American earn a living wage and have access to health care. I want well-funded public schools. I want LGBTQ kids to live without fear. I want accountability for police and other authority figures who abuse their power, particularly where racial minorities are concerned.

While the Republican Party of the last few years has staunchly opposed many of those goals, Democrats haven’t exactly been wildly enthusiastic about them either. Will Kamala Harris break with Joe Biden’s blank checks to the Israeli military? I hope so, but I have yet to see any concrete evidence.

For these reasons, I’m less interested in joining a “Christians for (Politician)” movement than I am in being a “Christian with particular and occasionally even contradictory politics who is forced to make a strategic vote in this two-party system and will ultimately pull the lever for the candidate who seems more likely to hear my side out than the other candidate is.” Not the catchiest name, but you get the idea.

When we pledge allegiance to one political candidate, we surrender a lot of the power we have in a democracy. Our political influence comes not just from who we decide to vote for, but from how we use our voices.

A “Christians for Undocumented Immigrants” group has a lot more leverage to influence politicians than a “Christians for (Politician)” group does, because the former isn’t beholden to a single flawed person who is susceptible to mistakes and lobbyists and squishy polling data and billionaire donors, but to a noble cause.

For an example of how quickly these “Christians for (Politician)” groups go awry, look no further than Harris’ opponent. I spoke with many Christians in 2016 who admitted they found many things about Donald Trump distasteful but voted for him anyway because of their opposition to abortion. Anti-abortion groups’ support for Trump turned out to be well-placed, as Trump’s GOP delivered a once-unthinkable Roe v. Wade overturn. However, Republicans now seem a little sheepish about this victory, as it has turned out to be a significant electoral liability. They’re so embarrassed about gutting federal abortion protections that they’re distancing themselves from all responsibility for this herculean accomplishment and omitting a pledge to ban abortion nationwide from the official party platform for the first time in 40 years.

Given this apparent reversal on the ostensibly all-important issue of abortion, have “Christians for Trump” withdrawn their support? Have these single-issue voters stood outside of Trump rallies and demanded he make his position clear on Florida’s abortion amendment? Has evidence that overturning Roe actually led to an uptick in abortion led these groups to find new ways to bring these rates in line with their stated goals? Current polling has observed no such break.

Once you’ve thrown in with a candidate, it’s much easier to shift your values to align with that person than to pressure the candidate to align their policies with your values.

I bring this up not to draw any moral or political equivalence between Trump and Harris, who are very different people. But I do think it’s a helpful illustration of the pitfalls that come from backing a politician instead of a political vision.

In the Gospels, Jesus proclaims a unique vision of the world — one where the meek inherit the earth and the mourning are comforted. I do not think either Trump or Harris is going to bring the kingdom proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount to reality. But no matter which candidate you think will get us marginally closer to that vision, it won’t happen if every supporter just puts their entire weight behind her or him, no questions asked.

Now is not the time to pledge blind allegiance. Now is the time to start making some demands.