Evidence

In the Book of Acts, the last words that Jesus gives his disciples are, “You will be my witnesses…”

But what does it mean to be a witness?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had bad experiences with people trying to witness to me. Usually, it means they are trying to convert me to their way of thinking – their way of believing. Even when I tell them I’m a pastor – they try even harder!

But I don’t want to throw away the word – because it is a word that carries a lot of weight…When I looked the word up in the dictionary, I found two relevant definitions:

First: a witness is someone who gives a firsthand account of what they have seen, heard, or experienced. That’s your story: How has Christ made a difference in your life? What difference has your faith made? What difference has your church made? That’s part of what Jesus is getting at. You need to know your own story.

Second: a witness is something that serves as evidence, a sign.

When I lived up in Atlanta, I volunteered at a church called the Open Door. They hosted breakfast every morning for the homeless in their building.

One freezing cold January morning, I was working with a guy named Chris. Chris was taking coffee outside to offer to folks who were waiting. An hour or so into it, he came inside without his shoes on. Everybody started asking him, so where are your shoes, Chris? He told us that there was this guy outside barefoot on this freezing morning and asked if the church had any in size 11. The church didn’t. But, Chris said, “I wear size eleven and got to thinking about how cold it is outside, and all the shoes I have in my closet. And so I took mine off and gave them to him.”

Evidence.

Whether he thought about it that way or not, through his actions Chris was a witness to the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.

Not everyone can give the shoes off their feet, but every one of us has something to give. Every one of us can make a difference in the lives of others. We can be a part of this movement – we can be evidence – a sign of God’s love.

Let us pray: Loving God, we thank you for your call on our lives. We pray for healing and restoration first in our own hearts. But even as we are being healed and restored, may we be instruments of your love and grace; through Jesus Christ. Amen.