Christian witnessing

IT’S a concept that, in my view, we need to know well. It corresponds to a reality that is necessary for us to recognize and to live as fully as possible. It requires effort, but, heck, it’s worth all the hassle it entails.

Christian witnessing is not a private affair of individuals, confined to religious moments or to Church circles. Hello! We need to debunk this awfully antediluvian prejudice, typical of the dark ages.

Christian witnessing is a concern for all, especially for those who consider themselves Christians. And it involves all aspects of our life, including our earthly affairs—business, politics, sports and entertainment, art and culture, etc.

It has to be lived always, and not just on some special occasions like on Sundays or other so-called pious moments we have. It has to be lived in all circumstances and events of our life. It should not be suspended at any time.

It’s precisely when we ignore this concept and reality that we enter into situations that are actually anomalous and harmful to us and to others, where all forms of inconsistency in our life can arise.

I would say that much of our problem today is due to our failure to live Christian witnessing. Thus, we have discrepancies between our words and our actions, between our personal, private life and our social, public life, etc.

Remember what our Lord said one time: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. So practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.” (Mt 23,2-3)

Many people extol the value of integrity, for example. But how can integrity prosper, how can it develop and spawn other virtues, especially the civic ones, if this Christian witnessing is not understood and lived well?

That we are supposed to be a Christian country and yet one entrenched in corruption and other social diseases like injustice, poverty, etc., is one such anomaly that arises when Christian witnessing is not authentically lived.

Christian witnessing is, of course, a much richer concept than the usual meaning that comes to mind when we hear the word “witness,” especially in its legal sense.

The latter concept refers to someone who saw something or who took part of an event. It is a very passive concept, not demanding anything from the person concerned other than perhaps to give a testimony of what he saw.

This human or legal concept of witness is applicable only to some persons who were at a certain place on a certain time. In this understanding of witness, obviously not everyone can be a witness.

Not so with a Christian witness. Here witnessing is not a matter of being in a certain place, seeing a certain event. It is more a matter of having a living faith, of uniting oneself in a living way with Christ through grace.

Thus, despite the distance in time and space, and the infinite discrepancy between God and our human condition, we become contemporaries with Christ. We get to talk to him always and to live in his presence.

We get to follow God, know His will, obey His commandments. We become aware of who God is and of who we are. We enrich our “I”, our identity to
include the presence of God in us and the tremendous riches that our intimate relationship with him would bring about.

Christian witnessing, therefore, is never a passive affair. By definition, it involves a vital and constant dealing between God and us. As long as we do our part, this relationship is enhanced and would yield us great benefits.

Thus, when we learn how to pray and talk to God always, when we study and assimilate his teachings, develop virtues, receive the sacraments, etc., we will soon experience the divine gifts and fruits—joy, peace, justice, wisdom, understanding, patience, chastity, etc., etc.