A Word from the Heart

Inaugural Post | July 2025
By Rev. Dr. Thea A. Wilson, Director
Civic Engagement Network, First Baptist Church of Glenarden International

Scripture Focus:

“He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?”
— Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

Welcome, FBCGI family! I’m so excited (and a little nervous!) to introduce you to Politics and Me, a new blog from the FBCGI Civic Engagement Network.

Can I be honest? When I first sat down to write this, I hesitated. I found myself asking, “Is this too political for our church? Will people even want to read this?” “What will they think if they did read it?” However, after prayer, reflection, and time in the Word, I came to a clear conclusion: disengaging from politics is not holiness—it’s avoidance.

At first, I believed that staying anonymous and out of the public eye with my thoughts was somehow more spiritual. I thought that if I focused solely on my faith and avoided the messiness of public issues, I would be honoring God by not putting myself out there in these judgmental and cruel streets. But the more I prayed, the more I felt a tension in my spirit. So I turned to Scripture, and what I discovered was not a call to comfort, but a charge to engage. Passages like Micah 6:8 confronted me: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” That isn’t passive. That’s action. That’s presence. That’s compassion with a spine!

I looked at the lives of biblical leaders like Esther, Joseph, Daniel, and Nehemiah—people who didn’t opt out of political systems but stepped into them with courage and conviction. Jesus Himself didn’t shy away from speaking truth to power or defending the dignity of the poor and marginalized. The Bible doesn’t tell us to retreat from the world; it commissions us to be salt and light in it.

So when I watch the news or hear about policies that harm the vulnerable—be it students burdened by crushing debt, families separated by harsh immigration laws, or communities impacted by racial injustice—I no longer see politics as a distraction from faith. I see it as one of the places where faith must show up.

Our silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality—it’s complicity.
Faith that does justice is faith that reflects the heart of God. And that clarity didn’t come from pundits or platforms. It came from the pages of Scripture, spoken gently but firmly through prayer.

Here at Politics and Me, we won’t be pushing parties or promoting candidates. Instead, we’ll delve into how our faith influences our politics and how our political choices reflect our beliefs. We’ll cover everything from voter education to biblical perspectives on justice and leadership. My prayer is that this space will help us grow together as informed, compassionate, and faithful public witnesses of Christ.

So, let’s break this down into a few key truths that guide how we show up as believers in the public square. Since I am a preacher and my audience is usually made up of members of FBCGI, who are very familiar with outlines and points, I will present my thoughts in that format. I hope to hear a few thousand or at least our Pastor’s faithful 17 “Amens!” echoing from the virtual pews. I invite you to join us on this journey.