Good Friday
"History Doesn't Repeat Itself, but it Rhymes"
Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I’m not religious. I went to a Catholic school, had a religious education, and I’d like to think that I’m at least somewhat knowledgeable about Christian beliefs and teachings. To be clear, I do believe that there is some degree of historicity of the story of Jesus’ life in the bible, although I don’t personally believe in any super natural elements, I do think that many parts of the bible can provide insight into human morals and behavior (and many do not), although I find that many people cherry pick the parts that agrees with their world view the most and ignore the parts that disagree with their world view. Which I suppose is exactly what I’m about to do, but again I don’t claim to be a devout Christian.
Today is Good Friday, according to the Catholic church it’s tradition it’s 1992 years since Jesus was Crucified, although that is generally considered to be slightly off.1
According to the Bible, Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate by a public mob of elders and priests, demanding that he be tried for the accusations against him.
“When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people conferred together against Jesus in order to bring about his death. They bound him, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.” (Mathew 27 NSRVUE)
Pilate was the Governor, and in this case he also acts in the role of Judge. He questioned Jesus on the charges laid against him by the mob.
“Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You say so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many accusations they make against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.” (Mathew 27 NSRVUE)
Pilate ultimately found that there was no evidence that Jesus was guilty of a crime. But Jesus was sentenced to death anyway, because ravenous political and religious leaders in Judea had stormed up a mob of hate and of people who believed that he was guilty despite no evidence.
“Pilate asked him, “What is truth?”After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no case against him” (John 18 NSRVUE)
“Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people, and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. … Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” … 20 Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, 21 but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” 22 A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.” 23 But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified, and their voices prevailed. 24 So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted.” (Luke 23)
I think there are very few people in the world who do not know what happens next in this story. Jesus is imprisoned and tortured. He is forced to drag the instrument of his death across the city, as the people who have been riled up by their leaders celebrate and take joy in his pain in suffering, while a small few attempt to help him. By the end of the day, Jesus is nailed to a cross (Most Roman crucifixions only had the victims tied to the cross), and he is left to languish until he dies of suffocation.
Mark Twain said that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes. I think this story rhymes a lot with what is happening today in the United States. There are many people in the United States today who are being picked up off the street by ICE agents, and sent to foreign prisons without access to lawyers or trials. When these cases do eventually come up in US courts, Judges are largely finding that there is no evidence that these people committed any crime. But our leaders go on television and call these people criminals and terrorists, and beg the American public to support their actions of defying legal proceedings. The supreme court ruled 9-0 that the Trump administration must facilitate the release of Kilmar Abregio Garcia, and just this week we learned from Senator Chris Van Hollen’s discussion with the Vice President of El Salvador that the Trump administration is not only failing to facilitate his release - the only reason he is still being held is because the Trump administration is still paying for him to be held. Let’s be clear though - this is the worst and most violent prison in the western hemisphere. It’s notorious for mistreatment and torture of it’s inmates. Thankfully, we have learned that Kilmar is in fact alive and accounted for in El Salvador.
That being said, maybe they do not want him to be alive. These days, I’m seeing more and more frequently the sentiment that anyone accused of being a terrorist or a criminal by this administration should be sent to this prison without a trial, without any evidence of guilt. And this week I’ve started seeing the conservative mob on social media stating that they actually hope that they are killing everyone who arrives in these prisons.
The people who support this administration often claim to be Christians. I really wonder how they can consider themselves Christians when they seemingly hold the exact same stance that was used by the mob that had Jesus crucified in spite of the ruling of the presiding legal official.
Historians and the Catholic church generally agree that there were errors in the calculation of the Gregoarian calendar and that Jesus was probably born sometime within the 10 year period around 1AD but in that exact year. Rahner, K. (1975). Encyclopedia of Theology: A Concise Sacramentum Mundi, 731