As Americans head to the polls for midterm elections, there is a good chance the ballots they cast will look a lot like those of their friends.

The majority of U.S. adults say their friends are mostly similar to them, including in their politics, according to a recent report from Barna Group. In fact, 62 percent say their political views closely align with those of their buddies.

Other traits people tend to share with their friends include the following:

The Great Commission calls us to cross barriers to share the love of Christ with everyone.

• Racial or ethnic background (74 percent mostly similar)
• Social status (70 percent)
• Life stage (69 percent)
• Education level (63 percent)
• Religious beliefs (62 percent)
• Income level (56 percent)

Barna reports that evangelical Christians are less likely than most to have friends who are different from them, particularly when it comes to religious beliefs (91 percent mostly similar); ethnicity (88 percent); and political views (86 percent).

While it’s understandable that people gravitate toward those with whom they have more in common, these statistics should challenge Christians to develop friendships with co-workers, neighbors and others from all walks of life.

In today’s deeply divided and intensely partisan culture, the Great Commission calls us to cross barriers to share the love of Christ with everyone — including those who look, live, think and vote differently than ourselves. After all, God wants “all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).