Seek to be peacemakers - and not partisans, US evangelicals are urged

US evangelicals are being urged to act as peacemakers rather than partisans, as the drama of the 2024 Presidential election result unfolds.

Writing in The Times in the UK, leading evangelical scientist and author Dr Francis Collins, who led the Human Genome Project from 1993, urges: 'Take up the mantle of a peacemaker; you will be blessed; you may even be called a child of God.'

In the most recent Credo article relating faith to life for the newspaper, Collins says: 'With the escalating partisan animosity that is dominating societal discourse, and will reach a new peak with the US presidential election... we need peacemakers more than ever.'

Collins declares: 'Although politics has never been a particularly good stronghold for truth, our rhetoric has deteriorated over the past 30 years or so to the point where civility and honesty are increasingly hard to find. Frank lies are regularly put forward by politicians on both sides, with apparently no consequences.'

Grace and truth

He adds: 'Christians especially need to model ourselves after Jesus, who came to dwell among us “full of grace and truth”. We are called to not be afraid, to love our neighbours, and even to love our enemies. In the book of Proverbs we are encouraged to seek and cherish wisdom. We are also told that God hates actions that stir up dissension. While there are many individual Christians seeking to follow these exhortations, far too many are not. Much of the church has not appeared recently as the light of the world.

Bridge-builders

'Our best hope for healing will come from “we the people”, believers and non-believers who are willing to stand up for both truth and reconciliation. We need to prioritise truth over ideology. We need to become bridge-builders who reach out to others who don’t agree with us. This is hard, but it’s a crucial step towards building a much-needed community of respect and love, truth and trust.'

Vital for climate future

Meanwhile, evangelical climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, a world famous expert in the field, has written in her latest newsletter of the crucial importance of the 2024 vote for the future. 'In the U.S., traditionally conservative states like Texas, Louisiana and Florida are the most vulnerable to climate impacts. As hurricanes, heatwaves, and floods ramp up, more and more voters are recognising that it’s their homes and their futures at stake,' she says.

'Not only that,' she adds, 'but "nowhere is clean energy growing more than in counties that voted for Donald Trump in 2020," says Michael Thomas, who writes the Cleanview Newsletter. Crunching the numbers, he found these counties accounted for 66 percent of the utility-scale solar built since 2023. Why? Because green energy just makes economic sense.

'It’s essential that all elected officials understand the threat posed by climate change and have a plan to tackle it head on. Research has shown that politicians consistently under-estimate how much their constituents care about climate change. Why? Because they don’t hear from them!

'At every level, from city council to national decisions, our votes and voices can drive the action needed to secure a resilient future. We are all part of the climate solution, and by electing leaders who prioritise climate solutions, we’re choosing a future where both people and nature can thrive.'