I (Alisha) am a resident of Maricopa County, Arizona (USA), in what is now known as a battleground state. This is such a peculiar term to consider, as a pacifist and member of a peace church. As we approach the upcoming U.S. presidential election day on Tuesday, November 5, I find myself particularly lost on this battlefield — and it’s not for a lack of way-finding signage. In the modern world of 2024, the resources regarding news and political commentary are limitless, and, wherever you find yourself on this planet, what you choose to consume frames your worldview. 

Each election season, the world is inundated with political campaigns, gossip and smear tactics, commentary from all sides and, depending on which channels you select on your TV and analysts you follow on X (formerly known as Twitter), your worldview is shaped and cultivated to the flavor of their perspectives. Like it or not, it clings to you relentlessly like Cheetos dust. This is not, however, a new problem, and by modern societies’ standards, truth is relative. (Welcome to post-modernism.)

Here are five Jesus-centered resources, for when GPS just won’t do the trick, to navigate through the remainder of the election season.

1. Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne

Prior to each election season, I intentionally revisit a text written by Christian activist Shane Claiborne called Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals.

When I read Claiborne’s book, it’s impossible to separate his reflection on politics and faith from the Woody Guthrie song in my head. I struggle to reconcile my own political notions from the examples set by Christ, who consistently shed a light on the injustices that plagued the world in his time, like poverty, racism, sexism, discrimination, oppression and corruption within both the religious and political sphere.  These injustices still poison our world today. Claiborne reminds us that “our ultimate hope lies not in partisan political options, but in Jesus and the incarnation of the peculiar politic of the church as a people set apart from this world.”

2. The Myth of a Christian Nation: How the Quest for Political Power is Destroying the Church by Greg Boyd 

Boyd’s text reflects on the concept of the “mustard seed kingdom.” He eloquently reminds me that the heart of Jesus’s teaching was about the Kingdom of God. Jesus taught about this topic with more frequency than any other (and it’s reflected in Jesus’s actions as well). As evidenced in the Gospels, when Jesus was present, the Kingdom was there. Boyd said: “The central goal of Jesus’ life was to plant the seed of this new kingdom so that, like a mustard seed, it would gradually expand.” We are to be nothing less than the body of Christ, which means, amongst other things, that we are to do exactly as Christ did to the best of our abilities. If there’s uncertainty in this, please revisit the following:

•        Romans 14:4-5
•        1 Corinthians 10:17
•        1 Corinthians 12:12-27
•        Ephesians 4:4
•        Ephesians 5:30
•        Colossians 1:18, 24
•        Colossians 2:19

The list could go on and on.  If our every thought, word, deed and (heaven forbid) social media post are to reflect the character of Christ, perhaps we need to revisit the God we see in our world today (Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). After Christ’s death on the cross, we became his “second body” here on earth. We are what remains and, by that logic, have a greater responsibility to the whole world — not to a single country that dually celebrates its liberty from faith oppression every Fourth of July while systematically oppressing many who worship, look or learn differently.

3. Disarming Leviathan: Loving your Christian Nationalist Neighbor by Caleb Campbell

I met the author Caleb at a Surge Network leadership summit here in Phoenix earlier this year and was delighted to join a book study of this text over the last several months. Navigating the waters of Christian Nationalism is a topic that is near to my heart, as many of my family members would identify with this movement. Caleb’s text offers suggestions of how to navigate the topic of Christian Nationalism from a place of hospitality, leading with open questions and encouraging connection on shared values. 

4. Peacemaker Practice Cards by Search for Common Ground 

The Search for Common Ground is a non-profit organization that works to transform violent conflict into peace, building healthy, safe and just societies. It recently released a free downloadable resource of Peacemaker Practice Cards that offer advice on being good neighbors, talking peacefully with one another, and using social media in a non-polarizing way as well as navigating treacherous conversations surrounding conspiracy theories and hate speech.

5. The BZ Christian Voter Guide by Brian Zahnd 

Twelve years ago, Pastor Brian Zahnd released a resource for his network called the “BZ Christian Voter Guide.” It helps to keep our focus on the important words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God,” in ten simple points: 

1. The political process, while necessary, has little to do with how God is saving the world.
2. The fate of the kingdom of God does not depend upon political contests.
3. Don’t be naïve; political parties are more interested in Christian votes than they are in Christian values.
4. The bottom line for political parties is power. The bottom line for a Christian is love. And therein lies the rub.
5. While in pursuit of the Ring of Power, you are not permitted to abandon the Sermon on the Mount.
6. If your political passion makes it hard for you to love your neighbor as yourself, you need to turn it down a notch.
7. Your task is to bring the salt of Christian civility to an ugly and acrimonious political process.
8. To dismember the body of Christ over politics is a grievous sin.
9. Exercise your liberty to vote your conscience and conviction, while accepting that other Christians will do the same and vote differently than you.
10. It’s more important that your soul be filled with love than it is for your political team to win the game.

In a polarized season, where the cries to “vote Red” or “stand with the Dems,” seem to deafen, I invite you to thoughtfully consider the question, How can we be Jesus in our divided context?  As a disciple of Christ, I feel moved to shift the questions from “Should I vote or not?” and “Which candidate?” to think more creatively about the fundamental issues of faith and allegiance. This comes from a place of not wanting to embolden an already-egomaniacal society that has assumed the role of self-appointed world police while living the “In God we trust” dystopian nightmare.

To quote theologian and pastor Ian Simkins: “There is no situation so crucial that we are to ignore the ways, words, and works of Jesus. Walking in the Way of Jesus is always more important than any success we hope to accomplish. The ends aren’t justified if the means aren’t Christlike. Sometimes we try to defend Jesus in ways that look nothing like Jesus. We can’t fight for God with the enemy’s weapons. We can’t worship God as treasure and treat people like trash.”

A prayer, as we countdown to the U.S. elections: God, help us to keep our eyes fixed first and foremost on you and your work in the world. And may we have the courage to join in. In a season when wayfinding feels challenging, help us to follow the path of the Lamb. Amen.