"Being Witnesses"--July 3, 2019

Being Witnesses--July 3, 2019

"[Jesus] replied, 'It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and to the ends of the earth.' When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight." [Acts 1:7-9]

Our calling is nothing more, and nothing less, than to bring Jesus into the room with us wherever we go.

That's not to say he is not also already in the room before we get there (he is), but the mission of every one who names the name of Jesus is to be an on-the-record witness of who Jesus is, what Jesus is like and how Jesus operates in the world.

That's one of the things I like about the word Jesus uses here, "witness," for his followers.  In a courtroom, usually the things a witness will testify about are known ahead of time.  Despite the cliffhanger moments in movies and TV shows, in real life a witness rarely says something on the stand that is "news" to the attorney who has called them to testify.  There are pre-trial interviews, depositions, affidavits, and a host of other ways that lawyers learn what a witness is going to say, before the phrase, "I swear to tell the truth..." is ever uttered on the day of trial.  But in the courtroom, the witness now brings official, on-the-record testimony.  Sometimes it is testimony about the character of the defendant; sometimes it is recollection of facts and events.  Sometimes it is the record of an expert in the field who has first-hand knowledge of a pertinent subject.  But one way or another, a witness' job is to bring some piece of the truth to life--recounting an event that others weren't present for, or telling us what sort of person the defendant is, or relaying their experience in some other area.  

And in that sense, the followers of Jesus are called to bring Jesus with us wherever we go. Like an eyewitness at a crime scene, we are given stories to tell of what Jesus has done and is doing.  Like a character witness, we are called to show to the world the character of Christ.  And like an expert witness, we are authorized to tell about our own experience firsthand with this Christ.

In these coming days, we will be talking about how the world will see Christ here... in us.  And we will see Christ here... in the mirror.  That means recognizing there is never a time--never a time--that we are off duty as witnesses.  We are always going to be giving testimony about something--the question is what conclusions others will draw from what they see and hear in us.  The question is whether we will be reliable witnesses of what Jesus is like.

And on that point, there are all sorts of ways for us to blow it.  Sometimes we parrot official teachings and doctrines about Jesus, only to undercut their power by acting in ways that do not reflect the character of Christ.  Sometimes we mouth words of piety and devotion, only to treat neighbors like they are disposable or ignorable.  Sometimes we make a good show of coming to Sunday services, but then reveal with our bank accounts, checkbooks, and calendars that we're more in love with our money than with God.  Sometimes we parade around the external signs of faith--a sparkling cross around the neck, a Bible in hand, and a fish decal on our cars--while at the same time treating people who are different from us like they are garbage, or being ruled by fear, or building our lives around "me and my group first."  And when those things happen--and to be honest, they happen a lot with us Christians--we reveal ourselves to be pretty rotten witnesses.

I think some part of us wants the job to be a part-time investment.  We can manage an hour or two on Sundays look pious, and we can post sappily inspirational memes on Facebook or Instagram to let our neighbors know how devout we are... but then we reveal a set of priorities that runs completely counter to the character of Jesus.  And that stinks to high heaven.

I remember reading not long ago a nationally-known religious figure, who has used his family name and status to get himself into an even more prominent position among the powerful and well-connected, and in his own words he identified himself as a Christian in one breath and then said that the didn't think Jesus' teachings should influence his choices for our public life.  I'm sure that bit of theological sophistry and sleight-of-hand is what lets him sleep at night... but it sure doesn't sound to me like he makes for a very convincing witness.  Because a witness' job, for as long as they are giving testimony, to represent the truth they have to tell.  And for followers of Jesus, that means we don't get to compartmentalize our faith so that we get the perks of being known as Christians without having to let Jesus actually shape our thoughts and actions.  There is no time that we are not giving testimony about who this Jesus is.

That means it is a con--a bald-faced, shameless con--when we hear religious-sounding voices preach on Sundays that our speech should be gracious and thoughtful, and then give a pass to folks who shout their anger and yell crude insults on social media as soon as the benediction is over.  It is a hollow scheme when the Protectors of Piety claim to be following Jesus and then have no room at their tables for the outcast, the poor, and the mess-ups.  It is a clever deception when folks insist that Jesus just wants me to be richer, at the expense of someone else getting to eat. It is a crooked trick to say that Jesus loves all people while also teaching your kids that they can't date someone whose skin color is different because they need to "keep their bloodlines pure" (as an embarrassing number of folks within 20 miles of where I live have said in this preacher's hearing over the years). And it is a lie, plain and simple, when folks professing to call Jesus their Lord and Savior say that they have no obligation to help those in need around them because they might not "deserve" the help.  All of those will reveal to the world that our testimony doesn't line up, and that our witness does not deserve to be believed.

So here's the thing.  People will draw their own conclusions about who Jesus is, based on what they see and hear in you and me.  When our words don't line up with our actions, nobody's gonna believe what we have to say.  And when either our words or our actions don't fit with the character of the homeless rabbi eating with prostitutes and tax collectors we call Christ, people will stop paying attention to our lives and our words.  

We are, in a word, witnesses.  The only question is what we will be witnesses to in this day.

Lord Jesus, let the world see your likeness in us today.