“Against Selective Empathy and Christian (Political) Tribalism”

Many (Evangelical) Christians in this country effortlessly practice “selective compassion” and “conditional empathy,” depending on one’s political leaning, ethnicity, geographical location, and worldview. They didn’t learn that from the teachings of Jesus nor from the ethics of Paul. Rather, such attitudes reflect cultural tribalism, partisan loyalties, and nationalistic idolatry that distort the radical call of the Gospel to love without boundaries.

Too many Christians in the church have allowed political ideology, cultural tribalism, and national pride to set the boundaries of their love. This is not the Gospel. This spirit is not of Christ but of Caesar, not the kingdom of God but the kingdoms of the world. It is the voice of empire masquerading as faith and Christian piety, the idolatry of nation cloaked in the language of Christian spirituality. The Gospel of Jesus calls us to a love without borders, a mercy without calculation, and a justice that embraces the least, the stranger, and the enemy.

Selective compassion is not biblical discipleship nor is it the way of the Messiah/Christ. Conditional empathy is not Christian love or charity. When human mercy is filtered through politics, when compassion is granted only to those who look, vote, or believe like us, the church betrays its Lord and commitment to be the light of the world. A Christian worldview that is selective and situational when to condemn hate speech and political violence is a disgrace to the Gospel of grace. A political system that tolerates Christians to dehumanize or demonize the “other” abandons the biblical vision of justice and erodes the very foundation of human dignity in society. Such a system is not true democracy and does not protect all life. In fact, it crucifies life at all cost and calls death to democracy.

Followers of Christ must renounce the idolatry of nation and party, Christian nationalism and ethnic superiority; rather, they should embrace the inclusive and radical ethic of Jesus:

1. Followers of Jesus are called to love without borders.
2. They are charged to show acts of mercy, kindness, and compassion without calculation.
3. The Jesus mandate is that his followers practice justice and hospitality without favoritism and boundaries.
4. The people of God are called to be in solidarity with the least, the stranger, and the marginalized.

Anything less is a denial of the Gospel and a betrayal of the cross. For the follower of Christ, empathy and compassion are not optional virtues but sacred bonds that hold communities together and heal fractured relationships. They remind us of our shared humanity and call us to live as people made in the image of God.

If this version of American Christianity does not transform its ways, it will accelerate the unraveling of democracy in our nation. If it does not die to its idols in order to live in Christ, it will usher in the death of justice and freedom—a reality we are beginning to witness in our own time.

American Christians: you cannot have it both ways. You cannot swear allegiance to Christ the King and to the American empire. You cannot exalt Christian nationalism while claiming the supremacy of Christ over all things. This is not the way of the cross.