Will 2024 be our 'Bring us Barabbas' moment?

The story of Jesus' arrest, trial and death sentence as recorded in the Gospels is one of politics, intrigue, injustice, expediency and power.

The governor of Judea knew Jesus had broken no civil laws, was no threat to Rome, yet Pontius Pilate understood that any choice other than conviction would become the business of Caesar.

Pilate knew he had no allegiance to this troublesome Jew whose death only meant that one more religious fanatic would be removed from the equation. As far as he was concerned, Jesus had already demonstrated his insanity by proclaiming that people should love their enemies and declaring himself a king, but one whose kingdom was "Not of this world."

Even so, Pilate still tried to weasel his way out of the mess by offering a choice. Imagine his reaction when the crowd brayed for Barabbas — an unrepentant criminal — rather than Jesus, who had fed and healed some of them but who also had a tendency to make folks squirm by exposing their hypocrisy.

So be it. Pilate didn't care that a free Barabbas would put Roman soldiers in danger; they were expendable, too. In other words, abandoning one's morals and principles and what you know to be right in a bid for self-preservation has been around for as long as humans have existed.

We've fooled ourselves into thinking that we're more enlightened than people were 2,000 years ago. It's why so few of us failed to anticipate that a rise in social media would result in some Americans' willingness to sacrifice democracy on the altars of theocracy and authoritarianism because they're convinced God has chosen someone who is the antithesis of their own faith.

We have people in public life who know better, yet downplay Donald Trump's litany of legal, financial and personal abuses to keep a seat at his table.

The list of those who publicly disparaged Trump in the past but have since become acolytes is a who's who of ignominy and cowardice.

At least give U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan credit for his slavish consistency.

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina once warned that "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed ... and we will deserve it," but now supports him.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, who makes it clear she would step over her Aunt Tillie to be Trump's running mate, told Fox News in 2015: “I think he has been insulting to women. I think this may be Mr. Trump’s peak moment. And I think we’re going to see his numbers change and decline over the coming weeks and months as the other candidates have an opportunity to share their vision for the future of this country.”

Beyonce has more Texas machismo than Sen. Ted Cruz, who couldn't even muster the courage to defend his own wife when Trump called her ugly, or when he linked his father, Rafael, to Lee Harvey Oswald and the Kennedy assassination.

Back in 2021, Sen. J.D. Vance described Trump as an "idiot" and "America's Hitler," which goes much further than "politics ain't beanbag" rhetoric. But apparently like St. Paul being struck from his horse on the Road to Damascus, Vance has seen the light and the error of his ways and has become one of Trump's chief disciples.

In carrying his water, Vance feeds into Trump's public declaration that he must be "The Chosen One."

There's nothing in scripture that details what happened to Barabbas upon his release, but we know habitual criminals don't tend to change their stripes. When Jesus was dying on a cross between two thieves, one of them still gave him grief. However, the second one did find a conscience and some common sense.

Perhaps Barabbas did, too.

One thing about Trump, just like Barabbas, he is who he is and doesn't pretend to be otherwise. The reason he remains viable no matter what he does or says is because he seems able to head-fake karma and wiggle out of every reckoning, and because he embodies the primordial desire we all have to do whatever we want, consequences be damned.

But we are more than our desires. Living in a democratic republic means that we buy into the idea of "E pluribus unum," that the sum of us can do more, achieve more as united people than as a balkanized and divided country hurling accusations and insults like so much shrapnel.

This is not to say that if Trump is like Barabbas, Joe Biden must be Jesus.

No. The alternative to Barabbas was truth.

Charita M. Goshay is a Canton Repository staff writer and member of the editorial board. Reach her at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com. On Twitter: @cgoshayREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Charita Goshay questions Donald Trump support