Tldr version: if the gospels are read not literally but as literature, we see the authors providing a number of examples of genuine versus idolatrous faith. The Barabbas character symbolizes one particularly potent form of idolatry: tribalism. As Barabbas was to the crowds in the gospels, so trump is to many Americans today.

Tribalism however offers only a finite good, and relieves us of the responsibility of building a community based on values that transcend any tribe. Trying to make that inclusive community work seems a lot riskier, but it’s the risk that all genuine faith requires.