Let’s try to think about which people are closest to us. Which people do we like the most, or which people, maybe friends, do we meet the most in our surroundings and let’s try to think about how much we care about them, how much we love them….?
“Freely you have received, freely give” (Mt 10:7-8). Go and preach, said Jesus. Preaching is one of two ways of witnessing. The other is seeing through life. Today there is a lot of talk about the need to proclaim through life, not. Otherwise, the testimony is not authentic. And that is true. But it is also true that Jesus said, “Go and preach.” Why am I saying this?
Because the testimony of life sometimes becomes an excuse for us. Because if I do not proclaim Christ with the word, then at least I take comfort in the fact that I testify with my life. I ask, if I swear with my life, does my testimony drill into someone’s head. H’s anyone noticed that my life is somehow different? And not only that he is different, but he is also attractive and joyful and has something mysterious in him, such as the mystery of Jesus Christ.
Over Christmas – increased number of suicides. And into this darkness, we Christians are invited to bear witness to Christ, to bring the light of Christ, his hope, salvation, and redemption for this life and, later, eternal life. Some people have never heard of Jesus; no one told them about him, so they have been darkness all their lives. They never saw a glimpse of Christ’s light. Some parents have never told their children a single word about Jesus.
What do we talk about with our loved ones, with the people we care about the most? Do we tell them about Jesus, or do we cover everything else? Because if we do not announce Jesus to our loved ones, we not only risk that they will not be saved but that they will be damned. Parents today work from morning to night so that their children can have everything they think of, but they do not tell them about Christ and risk that those for whom they have lived all their lives will one day be damned. And they will not see God’s face. Their life suddenly appears senseless when their loved ones, children, siblings, grandchildren, and friends are excluded from eternal life…
What do we talk about with our loved ones? If we look at the world today, people there have no problem announcing anything. They have no problem promoting a promiscuous lifestyle. Promote pornography. Promote alcohol, promote drugs… but we have trouble telling a friend about Jesus. Why? Because we are ashamed. Because we would look strange. Because we would be different…? Who are our closest? And what do they live on? Have they heard of Jesus? Have they ever had a profound encounter with Jesus? Did we survive it to pass it on? Amen.
