Discussion Questions

Merle says nationalism has “a pull” for Anabaptist people partly because “we’ve never lived anywhere this long without being persecuted” and we’ve become prosperous; where do you see prosperity and long-term comfort subtly reshaping Christian identity from “pilgrims and strangers” into protectors of “our way of life”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where do you see wealth and a comfortable, stable life slowly changing Christians from “pilgrims and strangers” into people focused on protecting “our way of life”?

The speaker describes politicians as offering hope by claiming “they’re the one who can solve the problems,” and he says politics is fueled by “fear and rage”; what specific fears or angers most easily recruit you into political thinking, and how do those emotions change the way you interpret the gospel and the world? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What fears or anger pull you most into politics, and how do those feelings change how you read the gospel and see the world?

Merle gives examples of leaders using Scripture and heaven-language for military purposes (Biden connecting Isaiah’s “Here am I, send me” to the American military; Trump implying a fallen soldier is “looking down on us”); what happens to Christian discipleship when war and salvation get spoken of in that sacred register? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What happens to Christian discipleship when leaders use Bible words and heaven-talk to support war and the military?

The abortion illustration argues that even overturning Roe v. Wade doesn’t produce “long-term grassroots change” because it doesn’t change demand; what does this claim assume about how sin, desire, and repentance actually change in people, and where does that challenge common “vote it into righteousness” instincts? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If changing a law doesn’t change people’s desire, what does that say about how sin and repentance really change—and why does it challenge the idea that we can “vote” people into righteousness?

Merle says Jesus lived under political oppression, refused to be made king, and “disappear[ed]” when they tried; what does Jesus’ refusal reveal about God’s priorities for bringing justice, and what modern Christian strategies does it quietly rebuke? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does Jesus refusing to be made king say about how God brings justice, and what popular Christian strategies today does it push back against?

The conversation calls nationalism “such a small idea” compared to the Kingdom of God, noting America is about “4% of the world”; how would your prayers, news intake, spending, and sense of urgency change if you truly centered the global church and a 500–1,000 year timescale instead of the next election cycle? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How would your prayers, news habits, spending, and urgency change if you focused on the global church and the next 500–1,000 years instead of the next election?

Merle’s dual-citizenship story highlights real responsibilities to earthly governments (taxes, obeying laws, loyalty oaths) but insists the “primary allegiance” is to the “King of Kings”; what are the practical signs that your primary allegiance is actually Christ’s kingdom rather than merely a belief you affirm? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What everyday signs show that your first loyalty is really to Christ’s kingdom, not just something you say you believe?

He argues voting can be a “conflict of interest” because the president is commander in chief, and a disciple committed to nonviolence cannot meaningfully help appoint that role; how do early Christians’ assumptions about enemy-love and the sword expose tensions in modern Christian voting habits? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If Christians are called to love enemies and not use the sword, what problems does that raise for how many Christians think about voting today?

Merle responds to “If good people do nothing, evil reigns” by listing nonpolitical community engagement (food banks, fire departments, foster care/adoption, supporting single mothers, refugee camps, medical care, development work) and adds that if we won’t “expend our energies” or “put our lives at risk,” the accusation of freeloading is justified; what sacrifices would have to change in your life for your nonpolitical witness to look costly and credible? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What would need to change in your time, money, or safety for your service outside politics to look truly costly and believable?

He warns that when politics “courts the church,” the church becomes an “interest group” alongside oil and pharma, and even loses gospel influence because people write it off as partisan; where have you seen the church’s witness diluted by party association, and what concrete steps could your congregation take to become a visibly “invitational” community working for shalom without being co-opted? JumpstartAnother way to ask: Where have you seen the church lose trust because it seems tied to a political party, and what could your church do to be clearly welcoming and working for shalom without being used by politics?