There is only one true source of truth, and it’s not Boris Johnson

When we exchange objective truth for the lies and deceit of self-interest, we make an idol of ourselves, says George Pitcher. Only in Jesus do we find a better way

Picture the scene. The Chair of the Commons Privileges Committee summons former prime minister Boris Johnson to her office earlier this year, ahead of his appearance before it, to answer charges that he misled parliament.

“When you testify, we want you to speak the truth,” she says. “What is truth?” asks Johnson in reply. 

To be clear, I’m not making a sub-messianic claim for Harriet Harman. Nor is Johnson to be cast as Pontius Pilate (though the similarities there are closer and I’ll develop them in a moment). What I’m saying is that a struggle to grasp the fundamental concept of ‘truth’ is central to the rise and fall of both Johnson and Pilate.