What if we’ve misunderstood what silence really says?
We like to think staying quiet keeps us neutral, especially in the political world. But in truth, silence speaks. It signals acceptance, apathy, or even fear. And as followers of Christ, we’re not called to any of those.
Let’s talk about it.
When the Church Wasn’t Silent
Whenever someone says the Church shouldn’t be involved in politics, I ask them a simple question:
“What about civil rights?”
Pick any major moment in American civil rights history, and chances are you’ll find people of faith not just voting, but marching, preaching, leading. You’ll also find people who stayed silent. One group shaped history. The other tried not to make waves.
It’s not a flawless argument, but it usually stops people in their tracks. Why?
Because no one wants to admit that silence might’ve been the wrong move.
When Paul Spoke Up
Let’s take it back even further.
In Acts 25, Paul, a Roman citizen and follower of Jesus, stood trial for preaching the gospel. And what did he do? He appealed to Caesar. He used his rights under Roman law to confront injustice. Was that political? Absolutely. Was it spiritual? Without a doubt.
Or think of Martin Luther King, Jr. A preacher. A theologian. A political force. If the Church had stayed silent then, the moral arc of history wouldn’t have bent nearly as far, or as fast.
So here’s the real issue:
The moment a political issue becomes a moral one, silence is no longer spiritual. It’s surrender.
And Scripture doesn’t call us to that.
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…”
— Proverbs 31:8–9
“Seek justice, correct oppression…”
— Isaiah 1:17
“Rescue from the hand of the oppressor…”
— Jeremiah 22:3
Those aren’t suggestions. They’re commands.
Not for chaos or hate, but for conviction and courage.
And let’s be clear: There are times when silence isn’t just unwise, it’s a sin.
When God tells us to speak, remaining silent becomes an act of disobedience.
The System Was Built for Us to Speak
Let’s bring this closer to home.
The U.S. Constitution doesn’t give us rights, it protects the ones we already have. It doesn’t create our freedom; it guards it from government interference. That includes our God-givensilence its citizens, it invites their voice. It gives us the right to speak, to assemble, to petition, and to live according to conscience.
tition, protest, and participate. And for Christians living in this system, that means our voice isn’t just permittallowed, it’s protexpected.
And yet, many of us don’t use it.
Why?
Part of the problem is language. We call politicians our “leaders.” But that’s not what they are.
In America, we don’t elect leaders, we elect representatives. That’s not a small distinction. A leader casts vision and invites others tocommands followers. A representative speaks on behalf of others, on behalf of us. And when they fail to do that, we don’t bow our heads and hope. We speak up, show up, or vote them out.
But here’s what we must not forget:
We’re also commanded to pray for them. Whether we agree with their policies or not, Scripture calls us to lift up “kings and all who are in authority” (1 Timothy 2:1–2). That doesn’t mean we endorse every decision. It means we approach every situation with humility, and our first posture is prayer, not outrage.
And if we are led to speak, we speak in love.
We speak with clarity.
But we do not remain silent.
If we forget that, we stop acting like a free people. And we stop living like a sent people.
Speaking Up Isn’t the Same as Rebelling
Let’s clear something up: speaking truth isn’t the same as rejecting authority.
Scripture does call us to submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1), and it warns against disorder for the sake of disorder. But submission doesn’t mean silence. It means honoring the position, not endorsing every decision. The early apostles understood this. That’s why Peter and John could say:
“We must obey God rather than men.”
— Acts 5:29
They weren’t launching a revolt. They were simply refusing to stay quiet when it came to God’s truth.
In fact, how we speak matters as much as why we speak. Are we driven by pride or love? Are we posting to win arguments or to reflect Christ?
There’s a difference between being bold and being belligerent. Between being faithful and being foolish.
Our call is to truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), to gentle correction (2 Timothy 2:25), and to defend the oppressed (Isaiah 1:17), even when it means confronting people in power.
What Submission Really Looks Like
Submission, biblically speaking, is about posture, not passivity. You can honor authority without excusing injustice. You can respect the system while still holding it accountable.
In fact, in a representative government, refusing to speak up can be a form of negligence. Silence, in this case, doesn’t look like submission. It looks like abandonment.
If the Church is truly called to be salt and light, we can’t preserve what we won’t protect, and we can’t illuminate what we refuse to see.
Christians, Don’t Sit This Out
This isn’t about endorsing a party or picking fights. It’s about understanding the weight of our witness, both in the church and in the culture.
You can speak up without being rude.
You can stand firm without being mean.
But what you can’t do, at least not faithfully, is stay silent when righteousness is at stake.
We’re not called to be loud. But we are called to be light.
And light speaks.
…just a thought.
Where might God be asking you to speak up, and what would it look like to do it with grace?
