E-mail: lowell“at”revlowell.com

Luke 24:35-48

  Subject:      witnessing

There are various styles of witnessing:

1)            The witness of religious truth—telling others what God wants them to know;

2)            The witness of social conscience—telling others what God wants them to do;

3)            The witness of integrity—being what God wants you (singular and plural) to be,

which includes what you know and do.

As an example of the witness of integrity, I think of two friends and exemplars from

my late teens, Miss T and Charles. Miss T was my supervisor at Moody Press in Chica-

go.  She encouraged me to return to college and even offered to lend me the money for

tuition.  Charles, an Old Testament scholar, arranged a scholarship for me at Temple

University in Philadelphia.

   They were both dedicated Christians.  They didn’t just believe, they believed in me! 

And that made all the difference.  They didn’t just teach, they modeled!

   Phil Donahue, in his autobiography, tells of the time he was starting out as a young

television reporter.  He was sent to cover a mine disaster.  It was late at night.  Snow

was on the ground. It was freezing cold.  The rescue team was down in the mine shaft.

The worried relatives and friends were gathered at the opening of the mine, waiting

anxiously for some word of hope. 

   Someone began to sing, “What a Friend we Have in Jesus. . . .”  Other people joined in

singing, “all our sins and grief to bear.”  Still more voices joined in, “What a privilege to

carry everything to God in prayer.”

   Then it was quiet.  A minister stepped out of the crowd and said, “Let us pray . . .”  It

was a brief but very moving prayer.  Donahue said it was such a moving scene that he

got goose bumps. The only problem was that it was so cold that the television camera

froze up, couldn’t use it.  Donahue held the camera against his body, and got it func-

tioning.  He went to the minister, asked him to repeat the prayer. 

The minister said, “No.” 

Donahue said, “I’m a TV reporter.  I represent 260 stations.  Millions of people will be

able to see you and to hear your beautiful prayer.” 

The minister said, “No.”

   Donahue said, “Perhaps you don’t understand.  I’m not representing some local TV

station.  I’m with CBS.  The whole nation will be able to see this.” 

The old country preacher said, “No,” and walked away. 

   Donahue was dumbfounded and furious.  He couldn’t understand it. But about a

year later he said that it hit him.  He wrote that he realized that he was witnessing

something called “integrity.”  He wrote:  “The man wouldn’t showbiz for Jesus.  He

wouldn’t sell his soul for TV, not even for national TV, not even. . . praise God. . . for CBS.”

That was the witness of integrity.

   As Gandhi taught, “The rose does not propagate its perfume.  It just is.”  The story is

told of an Easterner who walked into a Western saloon was amazed to see a dog sitting

at a table playing poker with three men.  He asked, “Can that dog really play cards?” 

One of the men answered, “Yeah, but he ain’t much of a player. Whenever he gets a

good hand he wags his tail.” 

   Don’t hide your feelings.  Witnessing grows from the recognition that one’s life is a miracle. 

Share the awe.  Don’t be afraid to wag your tail!

One Sunday on their way home from church, a little girl turned to her mother and

said, “Mommy, the preacher’s sermon this morning confused me.” The mother said,

“Oh, why is that?”

The little girl replied, “Well, he said that God is bigger than we are. Is that true?”

The mother replied, “Yes, that’s true, honey.”

“And he also said that God lives in us?  Is that true, Mommy?”

Again the mother replied, “Yes.”

“Well,” said the little girl, “If God is bigger than us and  he lives in us, wouldn’t He

show through?” 

   Scientists have learned that the nucleus of most snowflakes is a tiny piece of snow

from another snowflake.  It takes snow to make snow.  Likewise, it takes faith to make

faith.  You have to have it to share it.  It takes love to make love.  It takes responsible

responsiveness to build a community of the faithful.  Jesus calls us to fellowship.  We

respond by becoming God’s Eye Witness News Team.

   The power of God’s Spirit is here and now—in our midst and in our lives.  And we

are his witnesses.

--LDS

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