Love on the Battlefield
These days the wolf of opinion is often disguised in the clothes of news. Much of what we consume is shaped more by media ideology than by a balanced presentation of the facts.
Politics is perhaps the most obvious battleground where love is quickly replaced by loyalty to tribe. In this space, few are genuinely interested in listening to opposing views—let alone honouring the truths they may contain—because admitting strength on the other side feels like surrender. The pursuit of power is another wolf, cloaked in the language of virtue and moral high ground, yet driven by a hunger for dominance and control. It frames its objectives as righteousness, but it is more often about winning than about what is right. In such an environment, volume replaces virtue; the loudest voices drown out the most thoughtful ones. Success is measured not by truthfulness, but by persuasive messaging, emotional appeal, and ideological conformity. When political allegiance becomes more defining than compassion, the call to love—as Christ loved—is silenced beneath the noise of self-preservation and manufactured outrage.
Religion anchors many opinions, with the result that partisanship becomes a silo that keeps people apart instead of drawing them together. Christianity (or more specifically Christ-following) can be easily set aside in favour of the easier path of public observance where spiritual practices are cherry-picked to support lifestyle values. The claim “God is on my side” becomes a powerful lever often used to manipulate others into submission. How do the followers argue with someone who says, “God told me…”?
Privilege is equally influential—though often invisible to those who benefit from it—making it more subtle and arguably more dangerous. It shapes how we interpret the world, yet rarely invites us to question those interpretations. As a child, I assumed my family’s way of doing things was the right way, not because it was better, but because it was all I knew. I didn’t even know I had an accent until I visited other countries. Privilege works like that—it convinces us that our experience is universal. But it’s only through exposure to different voices, cultures, and perspectives that we begin to recognize our assumptions, loosen our grip on certainty, and grow into the kind of compassion that reflects Christ. Without that humility, privilege becomes another battlefield—one where we defend our way of life rather than love those who live differently.
We see the world through lenses that society has given us, and rarely stop to ask if the perspective is the only viable option, so much so that these can become battlefields that we will fight and die on before giving ground to those we disagree with or don’t understand.
This impact of societal lenses was powerfully illustrated in a podcast I listened to yesterday, which explored the parable of the Prodigal Son and the reasons for his demise. Three reasons are given in the text.
- He squandered his inheritance – Luke 15:13
- There was a famine in the land – Luke 15:14
- No one would help him – Luke 15:16
A capitalistic perspective will immediately highlight the irresponsible use of his wealth, whereas a society familiar with scarcity will pick up on the famine as the major cause of his descent into squalor. Other societies which are more family-focused will note that no one helped the young man. All are true, but none portray the full story by themselves.
In my book “LOVE Theology” I discuss the importance of seeing God and our world through the lens of love. If we use the lens of partisan politics, religion, privilege, capitalism, individualism or any other ‘ism’, we will run the risk of isolating ourselves from what Christ is doing in our world. I’ve called this blog post “Love on the Battlefield” to highlight the juxtaposition of the two paradigms. Love is the antithesis of war, and can be the first casualty on the battleground.
I want to suggest that we, as Christ-followers need to maintain our focus on how Jesus lived in his local battlefield of Roman occupancy and Religious certitude. John 13:35 reminds us that people will know we are Jesus’ disciples by the love we have for each other. James goes even further by saying that our faith is proved by our actions. If our actions are not in line with Christ-like love, then our faith is rightly called into question.
In Matthew 16:24, Jesus told his disciples—and us—to take up our cross and follow him. If we ever feel compelled to get off our cross and use worldly means to achieve a godly goal, we are no longer following Christ’s example. When we resort to criticism, coercion, or contempt for those who think differently, we’ve abandoned Kingdom values and the very cross Jesus bore—out of love, for all people.
Faith should be lived out in practice
- In Christ Daily – Day 3 - 2 November 2025
- In Christ Daily – Day 2 - 2 November 2025
- In Christ Daily – Day 1 - 2 November 2025