Called to be a Wtness Called to be a Witness By Rev. Alan Avera A
few years ago, a Dodge Ram pickup truck pulled out from a side street directly in front of my car as it tried to make a left turn across I was not able to stop or avoid hitting him. Even though I was able to slow substantially, the impact still totaled my car.
The driver immediately got out of his truck and started yelling at me, “Why did you speed up to hit me? Why did you speed up to hit me?” Taking out my phone, I called the police to report the accident. The driver responded, “I hope you’re calling your insurance company!” That was one time I was glad there was a witness. The woman in the car behind me stopped and reported that she has seen the whole thing. The other driver had pulled directly in front of me and there was nothing I could do.
What did she do as a witness? She merely stopped and took the time to tell the truth. She reported what she had seen. She was a trustworthy wit- ness because she was in a position to see what had happened and her job to her witness.
As part of the year-long theme of Advancing the Gospel, Moderator Bill McKay has asked me to write on the November theme: Called to be a Witness. Acts 1:8 tells us the gospel would advance through Christian witness, and then Acts 8:1-4 tells us the gospel advanced to Samaria and the end of the earth through the witness of ordinary Christians as they were scattered after the death of Stephen. “Now those who were scattered went about
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preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). When he told me the theme for November was “Called to be a Wit- looked at the Bible verse he had as- signed me to use in addressing this theme, Genesis 19:14. “So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons- in-law to be jesting.”
This is not a typical verse I have used, or have heard used, to talk about witnessing. But I have to commend Moderator McKay. Considering Lot as a witness has caused me to think. I hope it will cause you to think, too.
A key aspect of being a witness is whether we tell the truth in the witness we offer. Are we being a true witness or a false witness?
The Associate Reformed Presbyterian
November Synod Emphasis
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