In the first week of June, 2008 at a political rally in Minnesota, United States, Lady Michele Obama, shared a fist bump with husband, Barack Obama, just before he emerged as the Democratic party nominee. The gesture generally regarded as an act of solidarity, friendship, affirmation and support, was viewed by some people as ‘Hezbollah hand jabbing,’ or a ‘terrorist fist jab.’

Mrs. Obama felt it was so wrong that her gestures and comments were distorted by some people. Needless to say, Michele Obama was traumatized by these reactions to the extent that her husband had to ask those commentators to ‘lay off his wife.’

Pastor Paul Adefarasin and his wife Ifeanyi, of House on the Rock Church, Lagos often engage in similar show of solidarity and friendship as she calls him up to preach to the congregation. Thankfully, Pastor Paul and his wife have not experienced the kind of distortion of their gestures and comments like Michele experienced. But they know well One whose comments were brazenly distorted by some people looking for any and every way to achieve a conviction during a trial that took place many, many years ago.

When Jesus was brought before the High Priests for trial, certain individuals appeared and claimed he said he would destroy the Temple and build it after three days! Those presiding over the trial admitted the claim in evidence. Insisting it was a ground for conviction. After the death and burial of Jesus, the same persons who accepted the ‘distorted’ statement during trial, went back to Pilate, the Governor, and requested him to strengthen the security arrangement at the grave of Jesus because they remember him saying that he would rise again after three days. Of course, they knew he was not referring to the Temple but his body, when he first made the statement. But they knew too that

distorting comments and gestures, sometimes prove effective in achieving certain ends. What is the verdict of history as far as this practice is concerned?