'Seeing Through Things'
Was Jar Jar Binks a Sith Lord?
A few years ago, one internet user convinced many that this theory was true; this clumsy, witless nuisance was actually an extremely skilled Force user, capable of powerful mind control, and in league with Palpatine.[i]
It was fun to examine the evidence and imagine a world with Darth Jar Jar. It’s so bizarre that it seems plausible—obvious, even. (And the theory wasn’t totally off, for what it’s worth.[ii])
“Darth Jar Jar” may be significant for the Star Wars canon, but outside of that, it has no real importance. Even now you could be reading this wondering what I’m talking about; maybe you’ve never read Star Wars or had any reason to care about it previously.
But other conspiracy theories emerging in our day have serious consequences and implications. We flirt with the idea of such theories being true and what they might mean for our society. They have a gravity to them, affecting real people and real places.
CHRISTIAN SUSPICION
Recently, we’ve seen a slew of various conspiracy theories. The expensive Wayfair cabinets, the dealings of Ghislaine Maxwell and the death of Jeffrey Epstein, the #FreeBritney movement, and of course, our usual helping of conspiracies about our ongoing struggle with COVID-19, the election cycle, and more.
The church is not only affected by these theories; it is often found perpetuating the suspicion. Not only do we peddle these social or political conspiracies, but we even create theories within the Body of Christ. Discernment bloggers, for example, are constantly working to “see underneath” and determine what’s really going on behind the curtain of churches and pastors.
What are conspiracy theories doing to us, if anything? And what place should they have in our understanding of the world around us?
We should start with some important truths about conspiracies.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES ARE NOT ALWAYS ANTI-TRUTH
We are naive to suggest that every aspect of every conspiracy theory is unequivocally false. As in the Darth Jar Jar theory, a seed of truth is often present. Sometimes, theories gain traction due to careful observation and attention to details that helped someone make a conclusion.
We are in a “not yet” point of redemptive history where we still deal with the ravaging effects of the fall. And those who do not belong to Christ continue to suppress God’s truth and live in darkness and evil. The world is broken and full of wrongdoing. And one thing we know about evil is that it does everything it can to conceal itself, even in plain sight.
“It’s only natural for evil to try and hide, and therefore, only natural for us to have to be discerning and attentive in order to bring it to the light.”
John’s Gospel tells us, “Everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:20). It’s only natural for evil to try and hide, and therefore, only natural for us to have to be discerning and attentive in order to bring it to the light.
Some theories are completely baseless and put forward without a shred of verifiable evidence. But we should acknowledge that some contain within them a grain of truth that may be worth paying attention to.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES AREN’T ALWAYS THE TRUTH
This brings us to a dilemma, one best expressed by Pontius Pilate: “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
The answer to Pilate’s question was standing right before him, in the form of a man who told the world, “I am the truth“ (John 14:6). Jesus does not leave room for a system of truth that is relative to our preferences or imagination. Truth is absolute. The Word is truth.
When we embrace conspiracy theories without much thought or investigation, we lend conspiracy thinking a similar level of authority in our lives. These theories are often presented to us “as gospel”: accept their truth claims or be dismissed as someone living out of the know.
“Theories cannot be facts; they can only seek to explain them.”
We are living in an age where “theory” is often presented or accepted as fact. But theories are only meant to be an interpretation or explanation of the facts. Theories cannot be facts; they can only seek to explain them.
It is imperative that all theories, and our response to them, be filtered through the one source of total truth we can fully rely on: the Word of God. The Word is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16–17).
This does not mean we use the Word to “proof-text” our theory. Rather, we use the Word as our plumb line, to measure everything else against it. Anyone who presents to us a gospel contrary to the one we have in Christ should be accursed (Gal. 1:8–9).
SEEING THROUGH THINGS
Just as it’s naive to assume that any conspiracy theory is absolute nonsense, so it’s also naive to assume that any conspiracy theory is the absolute truth. C.S. Lewis explains the problem in The Abolition of Man:
“You cannot go on ‘seeing through’ things forever. The whole point of seeing through something is to see something through it . . . If you see through everything, then everything is transparent. But a wholly transparent world is an invisible world. To ‘see through’ things is the same as not to see.”[iii]
How does the continual practice of “seeing through things” affect our Christian witness and discipleship?
‘Seeing through things’ creates sinful speculation and erodes trust
Paul spoke on several occasions about the dangers of being fascinated with speculation, perhaps most notably in the opening of his first letter to Timothy:
“certain persons . . . devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.” (1 Tim. 1:3–7)
Paul is likely referring to issues surrounding doctrine and biblical interpretation. But the principle certainly applies to how we conduct ourselves in the world. Too often, “confident assertions” about God’s image-bearers and creation are made “without understanding.”
“When we constantly ‘see through things,’ it creates reckless distrust in the accused and breaks down our trust in our neighbors.”
Whether we feel we have a case to make, a heart and attitude devoted to endless speculation is not from God. When we constantly “see through things,” it creates reckless distrust in the accused and breaks down our trust in our neighbors who hold different views. It even breaks down our trust in God, making him into someone who seemingly allows evil to lurk in the shadows undetected.
We must ask ourselves: Does this theory ease my Christian conscience and the conscience of those around me? Does it originate from a pure and sincere heart of faith?
‘Seeing through things’ creates fear and erodes peace
A key problem with constant “conspiracy thinking” is that it thrives on fear, which stands in stark contrast to the way of Christ. A Christian cannot thrive on fear. This is why, throughout the scriptures, we are encouraged not to fear. The gospel tells us that Christians have been delivered from fear and ought not fall back into it as a way of life.[iv]
Paul sums it up to Timothy in this way: “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7). Though we live in troubling times, and though the world still reeks with evil, we are urged to let Christ’s peace rule in us. Anything that we do to fear-monger at the expense of bringing peace does not parallel Christ’s way.
‘Seeing through things’ creates hierarchy and destroys unity
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul warns that a time is coming “when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim. 4:3–4, emphasis added).
Our sin gives us “itching ears” that go seeking out “the real story.” And when we find it, we are urged to get the word out. When conspiracy theories and their proponents are given a platform, they naturally begin to establish a new hierarchy, almost a Gnostic-esque divide between The Enlightened and The Rest. Such a divide does the Body of Christ no favors. We are called to be a people united in “the same mind and the same judgment,” not fueled by the “divisions among you” (1 Cor. 1:10).
A BETTER WAY
A desire to seek the truth is not mistaken, nor is it inherently wrong for us to investigate and perform due diligence in moments of suspicion. But our preoccupation with conspiracy theories is proving damaging to both our Christian witness and our discipleship.
Conspiracies are not harmless. Whether giving conspiracies our undivided attention or treating them as little more than fun and inconsequential “what-if” scenarios, both impulses prove unhelpful and unfruitful for our faith. Let’s not overlook what these theories are doing to our discipleship.
In all things, let’s practice a sober view of the world in which we live, not ignoring its evil. Let’s trust in the providence and the power of God, who alone sees the heart of all mankind. Let’s anchor ourselves in pure truth and devote ourselves to its study.
And let’s love our neighbors more than we love being right.
[i] Darth Jar Jar Theory by Lumpawarroo (https://darthjarjar.com/original-theory-by-lumpawarroo/).
[ii] Star Wars: The Darth Jar Jar Binks theory is partially true, says actor | The Independent (https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/star-wars-the-darth-jar-jar-binks-theory-is-partially-true-says-actor-a6923351.html).
[iii] C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man, pg. 50.
[iv] Rom. 8:15, Heb. 13:6, 1 Jn. 4:18, Rev. 1:17.
Zach Barnhart currently serves as Student Pastor of Northlake Church in Lago Vista, TX. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Middle Tennessee State University and is currently studying at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, seeking a Master of Theological Studies degree. He is married to his wife, Hannah. You can follow Zach on Twitter @zachbarnhart or check out his personal blog, Cultivated.