Pastor's Pondering...

“Bearing Witness”

I was watching an episode of “Army Wives”. During the episode, a missionary worker was being “rescued” from a hostel location in Africa. She wanted to bring along some native children. The armed forces would not let the children come along. After much back and forth, the woman decided not to be “rescued”. She knew the children were in jeopardy. She made the statement “someone must bear witness to the atrocities that were happening.”

I have been thinking about what it means to “bear witness”; to show or say that a person exists or something happened. Monitors are sent to other countries to “bear witness” to elections being conducted in appropriate way. Witnesses, in courts, “bear witness” to a person’s innocence or guilt. I personally had the privilege to “bear witness” to two individuals being born – my niece, and Nell. “Bearing witness” is an awesome responsibility.

In the Scriptures, we read about ways that individuals or things have bared witness. In Genesis is the story of Jacob using a stone as a pillar. He then dreamed of a ladder going up to heaven. God spoke to Jacob and made a promise to Jacob to keep him safe. When Jacob woke from his dream, he took the stone that he used as a pillow, and set it up as a pillar and blessed it with oil as a memorial; as a way to “bear witness” to what had happened. In the New Testament, we read about the disciples bearing witness to Jesus’ life and death. They went out teaching and preaching about Jesus and God’s redemptive power to overcome death.

Scripture tells us that we are to bear witness…(Luke 16:15) “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.” As Christians in 2026 who did not witness Christ’s ministry and death, how do we “bear witness”? We reach out to those in need. When we do this, we are witnessing to God’s love, grace, and redemptive power. 

Support a food bank, give someone a ride, listen to someone’s story, provide space for a program to meet, treat someone with respect, invite a person to join you at worship, help carry groceries, take in the trash bins…and the list goes on.

Let our lives bear witness to our Triune God’s amazing love and grace.

Peace and grace,
Pastor Elizabeth