I almost never watch broadcast or cable TV, so I’m missing out on a slew of political advertisements. (Pity me!) It’s to be expected this time of year, but folks in our community who live in the suburbs especially are suffering from candidate attack ads on repeat. This is the consequence of an election finance system with almost no guardrails and plenty of incentive to tell lies loudly and often enough for smears to stick. It also corrodes our trust in the democratic process, by which people—all equally made in God’s image—ought to freely, fairly, and truthfully decide how we are governed.

Our systems of democracy are the basis of a free and open society. If we allow people to damage or destroy them, we risk being pulled around by a fear-based agenda rather than building a beloved community that includes everyone. God has not given us a spirit of fear, Scripture says, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Standing together against fear and division, supporting efforts to build up the common good, we can continue building a multiracial democracy that reflects divine creativity and works for everyone who calls Minnesota home.

I can’t turn off your TV for you, or do an exorcism to cleanse it, but I’ve learned at least one way to stop getting political mailers and phone calls. Those who vote early show up in election databases as having already voted, so campaigns don’t spend resources trying to reach you when they see that. You might consider voting early to turn down the volume on partisan messaging that’s flooding us right now. Whenever you vote, I ask you to choose faith over fear, and to remember Jesus’ call to love neighbors, strangers, and even enemies.