Two months from today, most of our students will have their very first chance to vote in a Presidential election.
This is one of many “firsts” that they’ll have the chance to experience while on campus — away from home, and away from those who have been their most trusted voices and advisers for much of their lives.
With such a big decision looming, who will step in and offer some assistance in the decision-making process?
Who will help them to discerningly sift through the abundance of information (and misinformation) that is out there about each candidate?
Who will help them to see beyond the rhetoric, and negative campaign ads, to understand the issues — and who might best be able to lead our country over the next four years.
Who will help them to see why they — as Christians — should care about politics and government.
I hope the answer is you!
With the Republican and Democratic National Conventions now behind us, and three different debates still to come, I believe we are poised in a unique position to help our students to explore the intersection of faith and politics.
But there’s a catch…
I think we need to do our very best to educate our young voters — without telling them how to vote.
We need to help them to ask good questions — better questions.
We need to encourage them to listen well, and weigh all of the data, from a variety of different sources.
We need to create space where they can engage in their own dialog with other — who believe differently than they do — with civility, humility, generosity, and charity.
And we need to model these thing to our young voters — who shouldn’t be calling us in four years and asking us who they should vote for.
What do you think?
Are you willing to have challenging conversations with your students about faith and politics?
Are you able to have these important conversations without slamming one candidate or glorifying another?
Will you embody the Christlike characteristics of hope, humility, generosity, civility, and charity during this political season — even if few others do?
