It is human nature to want to categorize people, put them into a definable box and label them. Pilate was trying to get a handle on who Jesus is, and asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.
I wish it could be said of kings generally that they were born to testify to the truth. Kings like that tend to be the exception rather than the rule. And perhaps testifying to the truth is incompatible with the demands of political power. I don’t mean that political leaders have to be liars (though many are…), but they need to have a strategic relationship with the truth, speaking the right things to the right people at the right times, and knowing when not to speak at all.
And what is the truth to which Jesus testified? The truth about God – that power belongs to God. The truth about justice – that God alone is qualified to judge the human heart. The truth about love – that God operates in an economy of love, a love so deep and vast it is dangerous to the human spirit.
Those who call themselves followers of Christ are also born to testify to the truth – and in our tradition, the Truth is personal, the Truth is Jesus. We are living in days when many who claim to follow Christ are allowing fear and bigotry to draw them away from the very clear teachings of Jesus, from faith in the goodness of our God. Shutting our doors to refugees who are fleeing for their lives is never a valid choice for Christians, not if we’re serious about Jesus. If ever there was a week to stand up and testify to the truth in our national discourse, this is that week.
Jesus could never be a political leader; his allegiance to the truth made him too threatening to the powers that be. We need to stand up to our political leaders when they turn their back on the truth, and stand with those who have the courage to speak for justice. We are called to be bearers of this dangerous love of God – maybe because it is inevitably diluted in us, and therefore able to be tolerated by mere human beings.
Let is be bearers of Christ's truth. Let us be bearers of Christ. Let us testify to overwhelming Love.
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