Sharing and Witnessing

It is a truth that the world listens to witnesses more than to teachers. This is evident in how many follow those who witness by deed more than by word. When teachers teach what they know, some of what they teach are not necessarily being lived out by them. This holds true for many of us who teach whatever we know about. The audience or student body who listens to teachers listen and acknowledge the teacher's expertise of the subject because the teacher is often a professional and is well-trained to deliver what he was educated to do as an educator. The impact on the audience of his teaching is based on the truth of what he learned and what he imparts from both theory and experience.

Witnessing is a whole different way of proceeding to make the others believe what you say. Witnessing involves the whole of a person's life. A witness focuses more on how the person of Christ and his relationship with Christ has changed his life for the better.

Witnessing can be done by everybody. No high education is needed in order to do this; although a high education can have a bigger impact and influence. All peoples who have much faith in Christ can witness to the reality and truth that there is a God who loves each one of us specially and uniquely. Many people can witness how much the Lord provides for him and his family's needs in daily life. Witnessing need not be formal and performed before an audience. Just sharing with the person beside us in whatever life situation we are in at the time, is enough to make a positive impact and difference on people. Our witnessing can change the outlook in life or the attitude of the person with regard to God, the world, to others, his family and loved ones, and his work or profession.

What is in witnessing that creates such a life-changing direction and outlook in people? It is in the very example of the way he is living his talk or 'walking his speech'. That creates a good and positive impact. Although witnesses can have this great impact, a greater impact can be made by teachers who are also witnesses of how great Christ is in their life. They are often more powerful witnesses because of their command of their knowledge of Christ and their commitment to Him. However, we need not teach at a professional level in order to make this greater and more powerful witness. We only need to know the necessary basics and rudiments of our faith, nurture and strengthen our relationship with Christ through the Eucharist, and in our ministry to others, and commit ourselves every day to do as we say. This is a challenge. It is a Christian challenge that we are called to make by virtue of our baptismal commitment.

All that witnessing requires of us, is for us to be truthful, honest, sincere, open, concerned, accommodating, accepting of the other, and most of all, wanting the good for the other.

All of us can be witnesses. We need not study professionally any further or any deeper research for this. All we need to do is to deepen and strengthen our relationship with God so that His love and His Spirit may descend upon us, and dwell within us always to make us become sources of light for each other in the social milieu we live and are immersed in. If our prayer connects us to the Lord with such an ardent intensity of life, love and light, then it will flow also into our speech and actions. Our witnessing will be purified by the love of the Spirit of God. And we do not need to prove it, for people will see, hear and feel that indeed God has made his dwelling place in us. People cannot be fooled. They know whether your witnessing is your own or from the inspiration that comes from the Holy Spirit. People can judge witnesses by the fruits of the Spirit they are living in their life.

There is no formal schooling for witnesses. Just by living out our baptismal consecration in our daily life, we are already "enrolled" in the "university of adversity". And our "school colors" are black and blue. It's true. The Christian has to deny himself, take up his cross and follow Christ. When he commits himself to do this everyday, he shares in the suffering of our Lord and Master. Witnessing is not really witnessing when the witness does not share the trials and temptations he had to overcome in order to make his love known to God. And true to the Lord's Risen Spirit, the witnessing can be very effective if the person shares how he hit "rock bottom" and came out of it because of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This type of witnessing is very powerful, especially for the ones who are even gifted with the skill to speak before a large audience.

We can be witnesses too in this new forum of the Internet. There are a lot of blog sites where you can start a blog and witness to others how much the Lord saved you from a destructive trend in your life. We can write anything in relation to our ministry or apostolate in the parish or community. We can write as many things as we are called and inspired to write, but must not forget to place what we write in the context of our relationship with God. Writing this way will bring the level of our writing to Christian witnessing.

If you wish to share and be a witness to how the Lord has saved your life, you can start by creating a blog or if you also want to share your life-changing experience because of the Lord's love for you, you may, like Anne Macdonnell, Ph. D., also share it in writing so that it can be published in this site.