6 | October 2025
The Importance of the White House Never in the history of our society has the white house been more important. That may sound like a political slo- gan from last year, but it remains true. You see, I’m not talking about THE White House. I’m talking about the white house on your street. And for that matter, the gray one, the green one, the blue one, the beige one, the brick one, and even the one with the color you would never pick. I fully admit that the title of this article was “clickbait.” I did it to prove a point. The title, “The Importance of Relationships over Politics,” just wouldn’t have had the same impact. In our politically polarized society, many Christians fall vic- tim to spending more time on politics than on their own neighbors. Sometimes we may be guilty of caring more about THE White House than the family that lives next door. In the rural, small-town context of southeast Ohio, rela- tionships must matter more than our political stances. We, as the church, need to handle political conversations with humility and truly believe that relationships are more im- portant than winning an argument or an election. Decisions and issues at the federal level matter, but eter- nity matters more. That’s the point Paul is making in Romans 13. He calls for Christians to be submissive, even encouraging, to the governing authorities. He then returns to the idea of love, specifically loving our neighbor, followed by the reason for both— our time here is short. Whether Paul is referencing the return of Christ or our own deaths, he is correct. Our time is limited. Therefore, we must make the most of our days. The implication for us is that our few days are better spent loving our neighbor more than political criticisms and con- troversies. If the government is not asking you to violate God’s law, just obey and stay focused on what really mat- ters. Governments come and go as God wills, but our cit- izenship is in heaven. That perspective should change us. We can still be politically active. We can still have dis- agreements on big issues. We can still challenge each other’s thinking. We live in a great country that allows for all those things. However, as citizens of heaven, may we be seen primari- ly as people of peace, people who care about individuals rather than what political team they support. I believe the Christian life has more to do with all the hous- es near you rather than the white one on Pennsylvania Av- enue. By Josh Remy, Southeast Region catalyst
Here are a few suggestions to make every house a priority: How about reaching out to the people in that white house, learning their names and interests? How about reconciling with them over an issue that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things? How about remaining active in their lives despite obvious differences in just about everything? How about simply re - lating to them more intentionally and showing them the love of Christ through hospitality and friendship? Whatever it looks like, we are given only so much ener- gy and so much time. Let’s spend both on what matters most. The White House will fade, but the souls in every house are forever.
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