No matter who wins this election, Jesus will still be Lord

May the Lordship of Christ both comfort and motivate us in these trying times. Our work for liberation will remain, regardless of who wins.

I’ve already made it very clear that I think Kamala Harris is the best choice for U.S. president. She’s the best choice to reduce harm and offer a more just United States. I would be lying to you if I told you I didn’t hope Harris wins and that I am frightened for what a Trump presidency offers. But, and I know I sound like a broken record to readers of this blog, even if Harris will unquestionably make for a better president than Trump would, our hope, as Christians, cannot be in who is elected, but rather in who Jesus Christ is.

I get tired of Christians telling us that our job is to build bridges between MAGA Christians and progressive ones. I get tired of when they say what it means to love our neighbor is to love the people with whom we politically differ. In fact, the call to love our neighbors is explicitly about loving our neighbors, and that means challenging a political party that uses its platform to spread hatred about neighbors. We cannot reconcile with those who hate their neighbors, unless they are repentant. I pray for that as well.

But just because the moderate Christians are wrong about how Christians should respond to this election doesn’t mean Christians should avoid showing up for the occasion, no matter who wins.

The first and primary thing Christians must do is continue to find hope and faith in our Lord and Savior and the assemblies that make up his body, the church. I hope we can all find community and friendship that offers us hope and courage in these worst of days (I realize not every church is that—and for those harmed by the church, I hope you find love and safety wherever you do). No matter what happens, we will need each other. And it is the Spirit working through us and Jesus alive among us that will give us hope; not who is elected.

That certainly does not mean that the election results are immaterial. If Trump wins, he will try to change the fabric of the country. He wants to regress the country on climate change. He will attempt to prosecute journalists, politicians who oppose him, and protesters. He has stated his intention to deport millions. He will try to rid queer people and trans people of their civil rights. Governors will be emboldened to ban abortions. And his economic and health care policies are so fanciful, they don’t portend well for the livelihood of Americans. The country and everyone in it will be worse off if he wins.

For the people who are genuinely afraid of the advent of fascism that Trump will usher in, I am disturbed alongside you. I cannot promise that it won’t be difficult. But as Christians, we were made to endure the oppression that Trump promises. We have a Savior who endured the same oppression as we may face. We have stories of liberation, songs of hope, and prayers of comfort to guide us through this difficult time. May our faith in our Savior be a balm to us in the face of these trying times. May we hold on to each other, even as a potential president tries to tear us apart.

For the church, most of whom support this would-be fascist, my prayer is, that regardless of the winner, that they repent of their idolatry and join the Holy Spirit in the work of bringing good news to the oppressed. I hope that the demon of MAGA is exorcised from the church and that people of faith find unity in their mutual advocacy for the liberation of the oppressed. I pray for each Christian Trump supporter, and even for Trump himself, to change and see the harm their politics is causing, and turn around and start following the God of the Oppressed on a journey toward liberation.

Though Kamala Harris will maintain Joe Biden’s status quo, and perhaps be pushed to be more compassionate, the slew of problems that we face today—climate change, genocide, income inequality, gun violence, and more—will remain. We can’t settle for what she offers, and the reason we will push her to do better and be better is because we are informed by the love of God in the world. Our belief in the Gospel motivates us to alleviate suffering in our personal lives as well as in our political activism. We need to keep advocating for freedom and liberation for the oppressed, even if the better choice wins the presidency.

Jesus will be Lord, no matter who wins this election. Though our work will change depending on who wins, we can hold on to hope, because God is already the victor. God has already given us and the world salvation. I eagerly await God’s return and God’s action in the world. I know that God wants God’s church to protect the most vulnerable, no matter which administration threatens them.

I hope today, on this Election Day eve, we can hold on to the promise of the Lordship of Jesus, and use that to fuel our work going forward. Justice will prevail, and the reason it will is not because of who is elected into office, but because of who God is in the world. God will remain sovereign despite the election, and it is through God’s power that we will have the courage to bear witness and act for the sake of the oppressed.