Politics are important. We have the unique privilege in America of having a voice and a vote. Across the history of humanity, the ability of the average citizen to employ their will to effect politics is amazingly unique.
So politics are important. The people of the Lord Jesus are “aliens and sojourners” (1 Peter 2:11) who are to seek the welfare of the place where we live (Jeremiah 29:7). That is a healthy tension that keeps politics from becoming too important.
But politics have become ultimate for many Christians. There are a variety of reasons for this, but one of those reasons is our consumption of media (including Facebook and YouTube…and especially Twitter).
Trevin Wax has a helpful article on Why So Many Americans Will Be Shocked on Election Day.
Our online preferences reinforce the “big sort.” Consider the LifeWay Research and ERLC Civility study that shows 48 % of evangelicals by belief agree that they “prefer to follow or befriend people on social media who have similar thoughts on social and political issues.” That’s not surprising, as people generally befriend others with similar interest and outlook…
He continues:
Unfortunately, the result is a myopic and distorted view of reality. We are left with impressions from Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter delivered up by algorithms that create a narrative that may be far from the truth. The Trump supporter sees video after video of large campaign rallies, Biden’s frequent gaffes, and anecdotal evidence or selective bits of data that point to a huge upset on Election Day. The Biden supporter sees video after video of Trump saying something demeaning or silly, celebrity endorsements for the Democratic candidate, and data points that signal a landslide Biden win.”
Zion Presbyterian Church Blog 