Presence Weekly 11/06/2023

The Devo: Truth and Elections

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?" After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.  (John 18:33–40, ESV)

Tomorrow is election day! Many municipal, county, and even state races will be decided by the time we all go to bed tomorrow. We live in Virginia, where the state legislature race has national implications now that Dobbs has sent the abortion decision back to the states. For the past two months, political ads are essentially the only thing vying for time with prescription drug commercials. If one was to rely on television advertisements alone, it might be difficult to determine their policy positions except through the negative ads of their opponents. It appears that we have to choose between someone who will let prisoners out of jail so they can murder us and someone who wants to put doctors in jail. Sure, that’s an overrepresentation and perhaps even a misrepresentation of the truth, but it goes to make a point. What happened to telling the truth? 

John’s version of the trial of Jesus reveals information not available in the other gospels. In John’s version, we gain greater insight into the conversation between Jesus and Pilate.  This dialogue reveals something about political leaders that we have all come to expect, and shows us how Jesus responds. 

If you follow the story, Pilate, at first, appears interested in getting the facts. He asks a series of questions, which, oddly, Jesus seems to answer quite coyly. 

Question 1: “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”

Question 2:  “What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Question 3:  “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

This part of the exchange raises a couple of questions. First, why does Jesus take this approach? Certainly, he understands that his life hangs in the balance. It would seem better for Jesus to give answers that might actually give Pilate the excuse he seems to be looking for to get out of this no-win political situation. Second, if Pilate is looking for answers, why doesn’t Jesus answer him with the fullness of the truth of who he is and what he came to do? Even if he ended up dead, Jesus would have invited him to believe. Isn’t that why he came? 

This brings us to the final question. The one that Jesus knows is coming and the one that has guided every answer Jesus has given so far. 

Question 4:  Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” 

Pilate’s final question reveals his heart. He has no interest in the truth, he is just interested in navigating the political landscape and maintaining his position. None of his questions were sincere attempts to gain knowledge or to make sure that he was on the right side of history (specifically, the history that God is unfolding). As such, Jesus answers Pilate by giving him the truth but in a way that he can easily walk away from if he wants to - and he does. 

On election day, we will go to the polls to vote for the candidate who shares our thoughts on policies leading to the flourishing of our municipalities, school districts, counties, and states. Last week, before our elections, I contacted the candidates for the state assembly on both sides of the aisle. In most cases, I was able to speak with a campaign manager or a chief of staff. I asked three questions.  

Question 1: What is the role of the public school system regarding current matters of culture? Both sides gave answers in line with their party platforms. 

Question 2: What concrete steps will the candidate take to address the fentanyl crisis in northern Virginia? All candidates gave answers that were appropriate and balanced (heavy penalties for manufacture and distribution, care for addicts). 

Question 3: Who won the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election? This was a question that members of one party found surprisingly easy to answer. After two phone conversations with one candidate’s chief of staff, who initially answered, “I have no idea,” to which I responded, “Well, find out and call me back,” I received this response,

Thank you for calling back earlier, it was a pleasure speaking to you earlier about some of what Delegate [redaxcted] has done and supported to lessen the devastation of the fentanyl epidemic on Virginia. Sorry, I didn't have an immediate answer to your question about the 2020 election.

Speaking to Delegate [redacted] about the issue, he focused on his commitment to state legislative issues. Part of why we had not discussed it previously is because while we work towards ensuring election integrity measures are codified in Virginia, national and federal political issues are simply outside of our purview. He is committed to ensuring that elections are conducted in Virginia in such a way that there is not a question as to who won or lost.

Regardless of what the national political issues may be, he will support the measures necessary to ensure the security of Virginia's elections as that is what he was elected to do as the [redacted] District's Delegate and what he is seeking to do as the [redacted} District's Delegate.

Here is my response, 

“I’ll take that as a “he’s not sure,” or “does not want to answer.” As such, I will be voting for another candidate. Truth and conviction matter more than policy positions.”  

As you discern which candidate to vote for, take time to consider their articulated policy positions. These matter! But also make sure to ask this question, “Does truth matter to this candidate?”

Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” As Christians, our lives depend on truth, and our interaction with the public square should rest on the same truth.

All that to say, for Christians, truth matters. 

Last Things

Issue 2 of the Presence journal is now available. This edition includes articles on Christian Nationalism, narcissism in leadership, developing and evaluating leadership, and a book review on the lessons Christians can learn from communism.

Don’t forget to vote!