David French: A Call for Christians to Seek Civility

By: Honor Tamminga

Photographed by: Maxine Parkin

On Nov. 1, George Fox University (GFU) hosted David French, the nationally renowned political commentator. As I sat in the audience and took notes, I was pleased to hear calls to action directed towards Christians who ought to and can make a difference in this nation.

French spent many years working as a litigator, but in 2015, he made a career shift to writing journalistically, primarily about the state of American politics. He was invited to GFU to speak for the Civility Project, which seeks to combat partisan division at GFU and around the nation.

French began by addressing the growing political animosity between the right and the left. The picture he presented of an increasingly divided nation was one I, and every other American, know first-hand. The trend of Americans who choose to settle down in areas that are home to others of their same ideology is a prevalent example of increasing division. As these individuals gather with like-minded people, their ideologies become more and more extreme. French spoke about this phenomena, “The Big Sort,” and “The Law of Group Polarization,” and how they are bringing partisanship to new levels.

As these two trends continue to occur in our nation, the chasm between the right and the left will continue to grow, and what’s more, the hatred between the two will become increasingly inflamed.

French called on the audience, as Christians, to stand up boldly against this partisanship that has become so destructive for our nation. He used Micah 6:8, which says, “He has told you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” as a model for engaging in political discourse. First, French says, he walks into difficult conversations with humility, knowing that he is likely ignorant of the nuances of the controversy. Then, French extends kindness, and finally, he establishes his position of justice.

French encouraged us not to shy away from the world of politics just because it is scary and contentious. Rather, he called Christians to step into conflicts with humility, kindness, and justice, seeking change in the political climate. I found myself roused by his call to action. Seeing how much he has done to face American partisanship that is dividing families and friends encouraged me that maybe somehow, I too could make a difference. I left French's talk with a hope to be able to see change in my lifetime, and a hope that change will come from Christians as they seek meaningful and intentional relationships with both their political friends and their political enemies.