The call to be of witness

In the midst of the challenges we’re all facing in Trinidad and Tobago and around the world, we’re invited to respond to the call to be witnesses.

More than merely seeing, commenting, expressing fear and concern and moving to protect ourselves and our families from perceived imminent harm, the real challenge to our ‘salvation’ is finding out who we really are, what influences our decisions and how far we’re prepared to commit to relationships.

Those decisions begin on a personal level. What is known or believed about the person or situation with which alignment is considered? What’s the source of information? Is it reliable? Why should confidence rest in that person? How is the strength of the bond nurtured or assessed? How is the decision enacted?

Many questions to answer; complex situations may cause uncertainty, doubt, indecision, insecurity, especially when the other person may be insincere, or just does not know how they truly feel or are likely to behave in the future when a world of distractions confuse clear thinking.

Here comes John the Baptist (Jn 1:29–34) to teach us by his via negative, who he’s not, about the humility that’s required to decrease his ego and allow the increase and validation of the authentic bearer of the complete answer to all our temporal angst.

The lesson is that we must strive to know and understand ourselves, our strengths and weaknesses, who we are and who we’re not.

Often, we fool ourselves and proceed to mess up many things—personal relationships, political decisions, business investments, family interactions.

Witness the outcomes of flawed decisions manifest in the cacophony of murders—men who define themselves as owners of women and not partners in the journey of co-creating, uplifting, positive, lifegiving relationships. Witness the deceptions on the world stage in announcements on who has “power” and the disposability of “martyrs”, even people who are ‘your own’.

Relationships are constantly changing, even as we grow in spirit and in Truth. But who is Truth? Who is our influencer in decision making? John saw, believed and testified that the Lamb of God, whom he was prepared for by the prophecy of the ancient wisdom bearers, was manifest before the world which He had come to save. Not just us in the Church, but all in the cosmos are to be redeemed!

We too have received the knowledge, the preparation, but we often choose not to recognise Him, even when the evidence is clear. Why?

Consider that as we’re encouraged to become better versions of ourselves, in our Catholic Church and wider society of online guru wisdom, the challenge is to nurture internal freedom from attachment to self-adulation, people, sensuality and attractions.

That freedom and detachment is gained by focusing on God’s Chosen One on whom the Holy Spirit rests and who compels us by sheer truth to testify and free ourselves for service to the other.

Let each of us stop hiding in self-deception and testify to the power and influence of the one who is always with us to save us, if only we get to know Him.