Greek philosophers championed the idea of “Nothing in excess.” The slogan was etched onto public buildings, referencing the “Golden Mean” or “Middle Way” made popular by Plato and his student Aristotle. To be a true virtue, Aristotle argued in his work on ethics, it must be held in balance between two extremes. As one example, if the virtue of courage is taken to excess, men become reckless; if not taken far enough, they become cowardly.

Could this concept be the answer to our current values war waging in the West? Are the values we should be embracing somewhere in the middle of the extreme viewpoints held by the “far left” and “far right”? Can we find a more rational common ground?

For followers of Jesus, politics can be a confusing and troubling issue. That’s because Scripture doesn’t deal with the topic per se. However, its principles for godly living overlap all areas of society. In light of recent events in the U.S., where people’s lives from both sides of the political spectrum have been cut short, Proverbs 29:22 rings true: “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.”

To kill another person for any reason is always wrong and should never be celebrated, no matter what the motive might be. Taking such action might seem noble … like seeking social justice for some group we think is oppressed or stopping the actions of a madman (as Bonhoeffer saw Hitler). In most cases, though, murder is committed for more blatantly selfish reasons … a desire to become famous, rage, spite, hatred, or revenge. (When mental illness is the reason, that’s another matter, of course.)

Scripture is clear about whose responsibility it is to exact justice and eliminate evil. Romans 12 instructs Christians: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (vv. 18-21). If we lose sight of the humanity of our “enemies” we forfeit the opportunity to achieve reconciliation. Evil wins.

When the apostle Paul was debating philosophers in Athens (Acts 17), he reminded them of their common bond as human beings. “From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us” (vv. 26-28). If we can remember that we’re all God’s offspring and He cares deeply for every single person, we can restrain our impulse to control, oppress, or otherwise harm others. We’ll do what both Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 22:39 taught: “Love your neighbor as yourself”.

Being part of any nation means we’ll rub shoulders with all kinds of people. We won’t think, feel, or see things the same way, yet we must acknowledge that we’re fellow citizens of our country. When we begin to despise and turn on one another, we fall into a trap described by Paul in Galatians 5:15. “If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” Paul was writing about church communities, but the same principle applies for any group seeking to work together. If we’re divided against each other, we will not stand for long. When the 9/11 attack happened in 2001, our nation came together as we faced the threat of an outside enemy seeking to destroy us. We knew our survival depended upon pulling together and arming ourselves against future attacks. This enabled us to overlook any differences we had and focus on what united us as a nation.

Today, we’re facing another kind of outside enemy. It’s not another nation group or radical ideology. This threat is from our spiritual enemy, Satan, who “comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10). He seeks to cause divisions and stirs up hatred wherever he can. In the process he also sows seeds of hostility, violence, and chaos. Tragically, through social media we all cooperate with him more often than we realize.

It’s not surprising to see unbelievers falling victim to his tricks; the apostle John wrote in 1 John 5:19, “The whole world is under the control of the evil one.” But those of us who have been saved and have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us are equipped to detect Satan’s ways and resist him. As children of light, we can choose to be peacemakers and reconcilers. There may be times when we’re asked by the Lord to take a bold stand against something. If so, we must be obedient, even if what we’re doing may look extreme to someone else. But these situations are the exception, not the rule. Everyday life works best when people avoid an “all or nothing” approach to problems. Only through cooperation can we dwell together in peace and build a stable foundation for future generations.

Here’s the bottom line: Our loyalty to Christ supersedes every other loyalty in life, including our political views.  In Ephesians 4:26-32, Paul lays out instructions for how we can follow Jesus’ example as we seek to change the current political atmosphere: “Do not give the devil a foothold … do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. … Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God … Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Thank you, Lord, for your love, mercy, and grace. Help me to follow your example when I interact with people I don’t agree with. Enable me to avoid extreme viewpoints that alienate others unnecessarily. Make me an instrument of your peace as I seek to faithfully proclaim your truth in a dark and broken world. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.