NASHVILLE (BP) – The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) hosted an online event Monday, April 22, which focused on how Christians can approach political engagement, even beyond this year’s presidential election.
The event featured a conversation between ERLC President Brent Leatherwood and Daniel Darling, director of The Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The two discussed a variety of topics related to engaging politics in today’s often divisive culture.
The full conversation, titled “Bringing Hope to an Election Year: Christian Political Engagement in 2024 and Beyond,” can be found on the ERLC’s YouTube Channel.
Darling, a former ERLC staff member, said a vital place for Christians to begin with political engagement that is often missed, is praying for government officials.
“That’s something that I often have to remind myself to do,” Darling said. “Am I praying for our leaders as often as I’m complaining about them or posting about them. In 1 Timothy 2, Paul urges Timothy to pray for everyone in authority, and let’s remember they’re praying for Nero who would send Paul to his death.
“To be in public office today, to put yourself forward, is to open yourself up to a lot of abuse and a lot of just mockery and sort of scrutiny of your life. Anyone stepping forward we should pray for.”
Leatherwood and Darling went on to discuss topics including pro-life advocacy in a post-Roe world, foreign policy in international conflicts such as in Ukraine and Israel, ways in which the ERLC advocates for Southern Baptists in the public square and how Christians should strive to conduct themselves in the political arena and in their day-to-day lives.
Specifically regarding this year’s upcoming presidential election, Darling said a temptation Christians can face is “to allow a political moment or a political figure to divide us from our fellow brothers and sisters.”
Let’s by all means engage, let’s make arguments, let’s speak against evil, but let’s not let minor differences with other Christians separate us. Let’s determine and say ‘I am united with my brothers and sisters by something that unites us far more than should divide us.’
Daniel Darling, director of The Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Read the full Baptist Press article here.
