Immediately preceding the crucifixion of Jesus, the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate, told the accusing crowd of Sanhedrin, “I find no fault in him.” He told them four times, “I find no fault in him.” The Sanhedrin wanted Jesus dead and, under both Jewish and Roman law in this circumstance, only the Roman governor could order the death of Jesus. But Pilate found Jesus innocent of the trumped up charge of sedition.
In the end, Pilate became more concerned with maintaining his position as governor of Judea than with the truth. He capitulated to the irrational but vociferous Sanhedrin and ordered Jesus crucified. Wrought with guilt for condemning an innocent man, Pilate symbolically washed his hands of the blood about to be shed and announced he had nothing to do with it.
Well, of course, Pilate had everything to do with it. Regardless of the angry Sanhedrin, Pilate could have set Jesus free. The power was his. But Pilate chose his political future instead. As biblical scholar James Talmadge has written, “Pilate knew what was right but lacked the moral courage to do it. He was afraid of the Jews, and more afraid of hostile influence at Rome. He was afraid of his conscience, but more afraid of losing his official position.”
In washing his hands of the condemnation of Jesus, Pilate created a pattern of political cowardice extending to our current day. We need to remember that washing our hands of some mess is not only cowardice. It’s culpability. When a political leader either allows a bad policy to take effect in the name of process or disavows a bad policy he could have done something about, he is guilty of that bad policy.
House Speaker Paul Ryan has become the poster child for the politics of hand washing today. Personally, I always have admired him. Paul Ryan’s tone, style and conservative roots have been admirable. But, now with rumors that he might step down as House Speaker soon after this next election, I would encourage him to do so right now if he wants to continue to wash his hands of certain key, but controversial, policies such as immigration.
If there ever was a national leader who should have embraced Utah’s approach to illegal immigration, it is Paul Ryan. He believes in comprehensive immigration reform. Unfortunately, he has a president who does not. He has a conservative House caucus that does not and, on top of his current political reality, he ran as vice-president for a presidential candidate whose singularly consistent policy has been getting tough on illegal immigrants. Paul Ryan has every reason to wash his hands of the immigration issue. But he shouldn’t.
Instead, Speaker Ryan ought to exercise some moral courage and become the leader he can. So why doesn’t he? In fact, why do so many otherwise good people in political leadership fear doing the right thing? Pontius Pilate wanted to maintain his official position as Roman governor. Keeping a political job surely explains a lot. But it does not explain why a leader would wash his hands of an issue if that leader were thinking of retiring. Arizona Senator Jeff Flake seems more consistent. He announced he was retiring and then doubled down on his moral courage to stand against idiotic political thinking.
I think the reason more political leaders decide to wash their hands of certain issues is because there is no tangible, commercial upside. Sad to say, but most community and political leaders elected to serve the public interest only act out of self-interest. What is in it for me? Few people act out of moral courage. I know that is a generalization but that has been my professional observation.
Some of us neither want money or power. We simply want to advance sound ideas and good character. We are not extremists pridefully standing for our own principles. We simply want to argue for and do what is right – call it what you may: the public interest, the common good or true freedom for all.
After all of these years in the service of right reason, I remain disappointed in even good people who require political safety or self-interest to motivate them passionately in any cause. More often than not, they, like Pontius Pilate, wash their hands of anything that does not directly benefit them personally, either financially or through elevated position. It happens every now and then – our founding fathers, Lincoln freeing the slaves and Reagan defeating communism. Maybe I should be grateful it happens at all.
I’m Paul Mero. Thanks for listening.
