Jesus and Pilate

 October 12, 2021

More than 40 years ago when I entered the United Methodist Church, I was quite unprepared for the level of political activity I encountered. My independent Baptist upbringing eschewed mixing faith and politics in any significant way. We didn’t lobby, march, or do much of anything political except voting.

The United Methodist Church by contrast, was fully engaged with all things political, hobnobbing with representatives and senators, strutting quite proudly when a prominent political figure identified as one of us. Every year at Annual Conference, we voted on social action statements to be forwarded to the appropriate politicos. It was all vain posturing, imagining that the world cared for what we thought, except as we might be useful to them in furthering an agenda. 

There was a time when the political world listened to the Church, but those days are long gone. Lip service is rendered, but Christians are little more than pawns to be played off against “the other side,” whatever that side may be. We Methodists continue to pass resolutions which get forwarded to the relevant political people, but in my opinion, it is all smoke and mirrors.

This is not to say that our faith has nothing to say about what is happening in society, but that we must be careful what we say and how we say it, if we are to remain genuinely Christian. Jesus’ temptation was in part, political. Satan offered the kingdoms of this world if Jesus would bow down and worship him. Jesus refused the bait, knowing that the kingdoms of this world will pass away. Neither Jesus nor Paul lobbied, marched, or protested the Roman government, which was at least as corrupt as ours. It wouldn’t have done any good, any more than when we do the same today. When asked point blank by Pilate if he were indeed a king, as his accusers said, Jesus’ reply was simply that his kingdom was not of this world. End of discussion.

I am saddened, but not surprised when Christians link a political position with the Gospel in a way Jesus never intended. The various positions taken by well-meaning people on vaccinations and masks, for instance, all claim the high moral ground of the Gospel—both sides! Invoking Jesus to support a political platform is not only antithesis to the Gospel which is apolitical and transcends all things political, it is manipulative and demeaning of those both those who preach such a gospel and those who are hearers of it.

I’m grateful for my Baptist upbringing. We believed back then, and I believe now, that transforming the human heart precedes transforming society. It is the life transformed by the saving power of the Cross that provides the impetus, motivation, and power to transform society. Constant political rumination robs the soul of the peace God means us to have. In Christ alone is our salvation, not in a social or political position. For this I am grateful, for it puts all lesser matters into perspective and allows me to fellowship with not only those who see life through my lens, but also with those whose faith moves them differently than mine does me.