The ability to give our witness is a key skill in developing an evangelizing mindset
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
One key skill in developing an evangelizing mindset is the ability to give one’s witness. Several readings this week invite us to develop that skill.
The healing of Naaman by Elisha (2 Kings 5) invites us to give witness to the importance of place. Naaman is afflicted by leprosy. Elisha tells him to wash in the Jordan River. Naaman says, in effect: “No way! The rivers of Aram are just as good — or even better! What’s so special about this place?” It’s a cry we hear today, too: “Can’t I pray anywhere? Why do I need to be in church?”
In the end, Elisha’s reply wasn’t an argument but a witness: Come and see. Our witness can be along the same lines: “Sure, you can pray anywhere. I do! Still, there’s something different about being before the Blessed Sacrament. I’m not trying to win an argument here, I’m just telling you what my experience is: there’s something different about that place.” And there it is: You’ve given witness! And that witness plants a seed.
Azariah’s prayer (Daniel 3) is an invitation to give witness in many ways. But I want to focus on something he says in that prayer: “Deliver us by your wonders, and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”
The Lord did wonders for ancient Israel. The Lord did wonders for Azariah. What wonders has the Lord done in your life? Do you have one of those “only God could have done this” moments in your life? If you can share one of those, that’s giving witness. And that witness plants a seed.
Jesus asks us to give witness to the power of forgiveness. In response to Peter’s question — “How often must I forgive my brother?” — Jesus gives the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matthew 18). He concludes with a warning, but the warning is also an invitation: If you open your heart to forgive others, you also unlock the power of God’s forgiveness toward you.
Let’s be honest: Forgiving is not easy! But there’s a joy and a freedom that comes from it. When we do the hard work of forgiving and experience the joy and freedom that follow, then we can give witness to the world: Outrage and vengeance aren’t the only possibilities. The world needs someone to plant that seed!
Moses invited ancient Israel — and through them he invites us — to give witness to the joy of following the statutes and decrees of God’s law: “Observe them carefully, for thus will you give evidence … to the nations, who will hear of all these statutes and say, ‘This great nation is truly a wise and intelligent people’” (Deuteronomy 4).
If we follow the teachings of Christ and the Church with resentment, that gives witness: “This is a drag. See how sad it makes us?” If we follow the teachings of Christ and the Church with joy, that gives a different kind of witness: “No, it’s not easy. But it’s so worth it! Look at the joy that comes — because we’re not just ‘following rules,’ we’re being conformed to the life of Christ.”
It’s the heart of Lent, and early spring. How are you being invited to give a witness — and plant seeds — this week?
