John Wesley & Politics

The image of John Wesley in front of a rainbow backdrop seems to be quite a controversial image. What would John Wesley say to us today regarding politics, religion, and the intersection of the two? Would he be opposed to the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation that is rampant across the United States right now or would he remain silent? Closer to the heart of John Wesley would be the United Methodist Church. What would he have to say about the disaffiliations of churches over the great divide of LGBTQ+ justice issues in our church? https://www.umnews.org/en/news/disaffiliations-approved-by-annual-conferences

To have a greater understanding of these questions, we turn to a few topics that John Wesley did talk about:

Wesley on Voting¹
Wesley had three points to keep in mind, which he recorded in his journal from October 6, 1774. He wrote: “I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them,

To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy:
To speak no evil of the person they voted against: And,
To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side.

Wesley had what were known as Essential Elements when it came to voting

Don’t sell your vote.
Don’t speak evil of your opponents.
Keep a generous spirit toward those who disagree with you.
Three essential elements of healthy and constructive political engagement.

So can the church lead, have a voice in politics, and be taken seriously today? I would argue that the church has certainly lost some ground over the years because of the far right conservative agendas that have been pushed – all under the guise of following God’s commands. It can also be said that Christians on both sides of the aisles have pushed their agendas with not so charitable tactics and speech in order to get their agendas passed. If we turn to Wesley’s three points from above, we find that he is referencing Matthew 5:44, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Now that is a tough pill to swallow right there. The scripture is suggesting that I love my enemies – those who wish to harm me – those who have written malicious legislation against me – those who attempt to erase my family – I am to love them too? Yes, Wesley’s three points mentioned above are a nod to the command from Jesus that we are to love even our political enemies.

The great Martin Luther King, jr. would certainly had something to say about loving our enemies.

The author O’Brien said this about Wesley, “While not hesitating to offer his political views and comments on military strategy and the motives of the leaders of nations, he is always also a preacher and a moralist. He consistently urges a sound personal piety as the best response to the fluctuations of world affairs, and the absence of such piety as the underlying cause of national troubles.” O’Brien continues by saying, “Ostensibly claiming to stay out of politics, Wesley clearly showed a preference for candidates who supported the king, was suspicious of opposition politics, and steered Methodists away from supporting any candidate who was suspected of holding Jacobite views.”² It is important to understand that John Wesley was a loyalist to the crown. He saw the rightfully appointed royal to be divinely appointed by God. This sentiment of course comes down from his mother and father. Any opposition to the crown would not be in alignment with John Wesley’s worldview in the 18th century.

Let’s take a look at John Wesley’s 18th century principles:³

For Wesley, he would remind us, “Let us remember that in all these ways we can reflect Christ; His grace, His patience, His humility, His love for the poorest, and His love of justice.”³ So in the end, Wesley would encourage us to have a love of God and a love for people in our hearts. That certainly is a challenge as has already been described. Can we engage in politics? Should we engage in politics? I believe John Wesley calls us to a place of social justice, and if that requires us to engage in politics then I believe JW would give us his blessing.

I leave you with these images – will the fight continue in our church and in the world today?