Bumper Stickers and Political Debates

For a long time, I avoided public political statements for the same reason I avoid putting Christian bumper stickers on my car: I frequently do stupid things, and I don’t want people associating Jesus with my goofball mistakes. I'm about to break that longstanding policy.
As faithful Christians, how can we be political? How can we not? This is one of the most important questions of our time. The first Christians had some things easier than us. They weren’t ‘involved’ in politics, they mostly had a simple choice: obey, or suffer. By comparison, our choices are endless, and the chance of getting them right – or even simply proportionate – is basically nil.
Our job as Christians is to follow Jesus, love one another, and reach people with the gospel. One way (arguably) we can do that is by trying to be agents of positive change, like William Wilberforce. In America, the hurdles we face in that pursuit are legion. First, we have to know the gospel; know it inside out and upside down. Then, we have to set our course by it. Also, it helps if there are, you know, one or two dozen other Christians who all believe the same thing – which is no longer a given. Then we need to know what’s going on in our culture, and we have to accurately assess how the gospel speaks to each issue. Then, we presumably need to have some standard which can help us prioritize, just as Wilberforce prioritized human slavery over animal cruelty and gambling, even though he realized all of those issues could be addressed by the gospel.
Of course, we also need a theology for action. For example, in God’s eyes, how important are results? What means can we employ which will be justified as long as we attain our goals? At what point will our obedience to the authorities cease to honor God, and at what point will our disobedience bring him glory? What kind of language and rhetoric are we justified using? Is sarcasm OK (because it’s sometimes used in scripture) or is it off-limits (because it makes us look like uncaring jerks)? Can we use public nudity, like Isaiah and PETA?
Is it enough if we simply vote, and if not, what kinds of additional action will not get in the way of our parallel obligation to witness the truth of Jesus Christ? After all, if I (hypothetically) speak out in favor of enforcing immigration law just because as a Christian I want the US to continue to be a safe place which blesses those who live here and because I want to honor those who follow the legal process, but someone who hears me assumes that I’m racist, will that affect my ability to witness to that person? What if it does; should I sacrifice my reputation as a loving person (something I know Jesus wants) for a political position which I believe may turn out to be correct (which Jesus never spoke about)?
For all of these reasons and many others, I have long hesitated to speak out on political matters. I want to be a responsible member of American society by voting, but is that enough? When I speak out on anything which has become divisive (i.e., everything) I feel as though I’ve begun a dangerous activity which is guaranteed to put up insuperable barriers with some people, solidifying their negative opinion of me and making witness impossible. If some people deny me the right to speak my mind, should I bear that cross as an act of sacrifice and humility, or push back because I don’t want the truth to be stifled? And if I push back, am I doing so because I want to fight for my rights, or because I want to fight for the other person’s soul? Is ‘fighting for my rights’ even biblically justifiable?
Do I just stop caring about those people, or do I retreat and pray for them in private? Or – do I press my case, hoping that the truth will find some kind of handhold on their hearts, in spite of their opinion of me?
In this modern political climate, I feel lost, and I have no seriously viable model at hand to guide me. A million people in this country will offer me their solutions, but every one of those individuals is just as much a product of the puzzle as I am. Should I be politically active like Daniel, or like Dietrich Bonhoeffer? Should I be like Joseph, or more like MLK? Should I be like Wilberforce, or like St. Telemachus? And if you think the answer is ‘just try to be like Jesus’, remember that all of the people I just mentioned are models of how to follow Jesus; and they all did things differently, and yet they were all correct. (Weren’t they?)
So what should Jesus’ example look like for me now? If someone tries to tell me what it should be, should I believe them more according to how confident they seem – or should I be most suspicious of those who are the most confident? And finally, if things get worse, and the choice suddenly becomes clear, and the path I really ought to take becomes absolutely undeniable... will I have the courage to follow it?