Living our Witness

In his book, Reading the Signs, From Empty nets to Full Lives, Dr. Ellsworth Kalas writes:
      Most of our witnessing is likely to happen in passing moments of conversation
      those occasions when we show, in relatively minor ways, who we are and             
      to whom we belong.  I am thinking of a surburban woman who was playing
      tennis with her good but quite secular friends.  In a conversation break between
      sets she began referring to something she had read that morning.  It would
      have been easy to say, "I read somthing this morning."  Instead, with no attempt
      at piosity, she simply introduced one word:  "in my devotional reading this
      morning."  It was not a major soul-winning engagement.  It was, however, a true
      sowing of seed.  By a word, she had opened the door for some future
      conversation.

Dr. Kalas notes that our greatest hindrance in witnessing is that we are not sensitive and intentional enough to make use of the ordinary, small, seemingly insignificant occasions to witness in a natural, significant way.  We don't have to say someting dramatic or life-shaking to make a difference in people's lives and faith journeys.

Dr. Kalas goes on to say that we are immersed in waters of human need and we dont seem to act like we know it.  He writes:
      The issue is not we should become more aggressive about sharing our faith.
      It is that we should be more sensitive to the needs of the world around us,
      and more sensitive to the subtle proddings of the Holy Spirit....To be sensitive to
      the Holy Spirit must mean that we will be more sensitive to people and
      their pain; to be more sensitive to people ought to make us more open to God
      and his purposes.

I like how Dr. Kalas describes the work of witnessing.  Sharing our faith is simple, profoundly ordinary ways encourages us to be authentic, open, and very human.
My journey could use the ordinary spice Dr. Kalas suggests.  How about your's?

Sticking out like a sore thumb

I don’t remember where I first heard the phrase: Sticks out like a sore thumb.
I remember getting a cut infected and having a bandage on my thumb that looked like a watermelon. One of our children sucked thumbs, both thumbs.
There was a time when both thumbs were almost raw from the use they were given.


Most of my recollections of “sticking out like a sore thumb” were references to people who just didn’t seem to fit in. Like the time I went to a party wearing blue jeans and others showed up in shirts and ties. Yes, I felt really odd and out of place.
I also had other guys come up and say, “Wish I had worn jeans, Boone.” There may have been times you felt like you were sticking out like a sore thumb.

I think one of the callings for us as followers of Jesus our teacher, example, Master, Savior and Lord, is to stick out like a sore thumb.   He calls us to march to a different drummer from the one playing the tunes our culture marches to. We are called to live a life that presents a clear and compelling vision of what compassion, truth, faithfulness and self-giving are like.  Such a vision guides us all the days of our journey.

Sticking out like a sore thumb is not be easy. We are so into being relevant, user friendly reflections of the world around us. Standing up for what is healthy and right while expressing forgiveness and compassion for others who disagree with us is not a comfortable spot. To stand our ground with sensitivity to the positions of others, to be courageous and humble in the same breath are often times a stretch.

Sticking out like a sore thumb is not a comfortable image of following Jesus. We disciples of Jesus tend to become comfortably settled in our ways. But sticking out like a sore thumb as faithful disciples of Jesus is worth pondering.  It is also worth forming intentional community to support, care for and guide us on the journey.