Shoe Brands, Political Parties, and the Way We Treat People

We live in a time where people are being judged, dismissed, and even hated because of their political party. It has become normal for someone to say, “I can’t stand those people,” simply because they check a different box on a ballot.

But let me put that in terms we can all understand.

As I was putting on my shoes this morning, I had a choice. Nikes or Uggs. And for a split second, I caught myself thinking, “What would people think?” Would they make fun of the Uggs even though I'm warm? 

That is how ridiculous this has become.

Hating someone for their political party is like hating someone for their shoe brand.

It is shallow. It is childish. And it completely misses what actually matters.

A shoe brand does not make you faster. It does not make you stronger. It does not determine your character, your integrity, or your worth. It is simply something you wear.

In the same way, a political party does not define a person’s heart. It does not tell you how they love their family. It does not tell you whether they are generous, humble, loyal, or honest. It is simply a label they associate with.

Yet today, we are acting like shoe brands are the measure of a man.

We have reduced people to slogans and colors. Red or blue. Left or right. And in doing so, we have lost the ability to see the human being standing in front of us.

We have forgotten that people are not their party. They are souls. They are fathers, mothers, sons, daughters. They are men and women made in the image of God. and actually having an intelligent conversation would make all the difference in the world.

When you look at someone and only see their political affiliation, you are not seeing them at all. You are seeing a stereotype you have created in your own mind. A stereotype that social media, new media, government, and the enemy inflates to keep us from actually seeing what realy going on. A spiritual battle of epic proportions. 

That is not wisdom. That is not maturity. And that is not Christlike.

Jesus never commanded us to love only the people who vote like we do. He commanded us to love our neighbor. He commanded us to show compassion. He commanded us to treat people with dignity and grace.

If we can sit next to someone in church who wears a different brand of shoes and still worship the same Savior, then we can sit next to someone with a different political view and still treat them like a brother or sister.

Disagreement is not the enemy. Division is. When we draw a line that divides half the population, we are now divided!

The moment we allow politics to determine who deserves our love, we have stopped being the Church and started being a tribe. A tribe is built on shared opinions, loyalties, and identity markers. If you do not agree, you do not belong.

The Church is built on shared surrender to Christ. We belong not because we think the same, but because we are redeemed by the same Savior. A tribe divides over differences. The Church unites under truth, grace, and the gospel.

The Church is not called to be a tribe. It is called to be a family.

And in a family, we do not throw people away over labels.

So the next time you feel tempted to judge someone because of their political party, remember this.

A shoe brand does not make you faster.

And a political party does not make someone your enemy.

They are a person. They are a soul. And they are someone Jesus died for.

Let’s start treating people that way again. Oh, by the way, I chose the Nikes.

Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Jody