Being a witness
The church calendar is filled with commemorations of interesting saints about which you’ve likely never heard. August 10, for example, is the feast day of Laurence, a deacon in Rome who was killed in 258 during a persecution of Christians initiated by Emperor Valerian. According to tradition, his execution was particularly gruesome. He was roasted alive on a gridiron! Legend has it that he responded cheerfully. “I am done on this side; turn me over!” This is highly unlikely, to say the least, but I do like stories of saints who have a sense of humor.
Because he was killed for his faith, he is remembered and honored as a martyr. The word martyr comes from the Greek word martys which means “witness,” referring to a person who testifies to the truth. This means you and I have something in common with Laurence. Not martyrdom, thanks be to God. We share in common the call to be witnesses, to testify to the truth of how Jesus has transformed our lives.
Being a witness for Christ may conjure images of standing on a street corner preaching a sermon or handing out pamphlets. Rest assured, this is not usually the Episcopal way! If we want to understand what it means to be a witness, we need look no further than Laurence.
When Pope Sixtus II and his deacons were apprehended and executed, the Roman authorities told Laurence his life would be spared if he presented to them the wealth of the church. Laurence agreed. Over three days he collected all the money and treasure he could find and distributed it to those most in need. When the Roman authorities demanded the treasure, Laurence pointed to the poor and sick and said, “These are the treasures of the church.”
We’ve heard quite a bit about treasure in worship the past couple of Sundays. On July 31 we heard Jesus warn his disciples to beware “those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21) On August 7 we heard Jesus say, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Luke 12:34) Clearly, God’s understanding of treasure is not the same as ours.
Being witnesses for Christ means intentionally reflecting the mission of God in our lives; in the choices we make, the actions we take and the words we use. We bear witness not only in extraordinary circumstances but most importantly in our daily lives. Do my actions and words reflect the love, grace and peace of Christ? When people encounter me, do they experience God’s abundant welcome? Am I sharing God’s treasure instead of holding it for myself? Am I seeing God’s treasure in others and inviting them to share their gifts?
For God, treasure does not equate solely — or even primarily — with money. Laurence pointed to the poor and sick as the church’s treasure because he saw the gifts and blessings they could offer as God’s children. Where we too often see scarcity, God sees abundance. Where we see people in need, God sees people with gifts. When we see as God sees and live according to that vision, we become witnesses for Christ and participate in the transformation of the world.