The condemnation of Jesus is full of ironies. But it's also full of the unspoken fears in empire. The crowd's fear of suffering the same fate as Jesus; Pilate's fear of losing his power. The fear that there's nothing that can be done. Jesus's testimony is that to accede to the rule of violence and retributive injustice may be worth than death, for we will all die. What would it look like for us to not reassure ourselves that people suffering under violence deserve it or are happy? What happens if we look at the It and respond with love, knowing that God is always with us, and we are never truly alone.