Beyond the Ballot: Faith, Unity, and Love in a Divided Election Season
Embracing Faith, Unity, and Purpose Beyond the Polls
Our country swings back and forth between political parties and agendas. Every two years we are bombarded with the urgency of elections and the call to spend our time, money, energy, and increasingly our spiritual health on politics.
Faith operates on a different timeline. Now is the opportunity for us as people of faith to demonstrate what that means: to serve others, to pray for our enemies, to do an unexpected act of kindness toward a person who least expects it.
God’s love transcends elections and empires. Our job is to bring a glimpse of that love to a country searching for meaning and purpose, and ready for something better.
Through this lens, we’re reminded of the twofold mission that transcends campaign seasons and partisan divides: reaching out across differences to build unity and fostering healthy, honest conversations within our communities.
Below, you’ll see snapshots of faith leaders across traditions, actively living out this calling—engaging with others, building bridges, and modeling the love and purpose that we speak of.
An Example of a Faith Leader Reflecting on the Election
After last week’s election, Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin of Washington Hebrew Congregation led a reflective session, "Holding Together: Navigating a Divisive Election," creating space for her congregation to process the election results. Joined by ABC News Washington, DC Bureau Chief Rick Klein, Rabbi Schmelkin modeled the curiosity and understanding needed to bridge divides within our communities.
Here's the video of their insightful discussion, which explores how to view this election through a Jewish lens.
As our country moves forward during this election season, let us all be reminded that faith in action is a far more powerful force than the toxic polarization we may perceive around us.