Can I Get a Witness?
I was reading William Barclay’s commentary on the Book of Colossians last night when I came across a couple of passages which really spoke to me. First there was this: “The distinguishing mark of the true Church is an abounding and overflowing gratitude. Thanksgiving is the constant and characteristic note of the Christian life.” I found myself agreeing with Barclay. A Christian should be the most thankful person alive. When you stop to think about all that Christ has done for us you simply cannot help but be thankful. As children of God we should be expressing our gratitude every single day. And when we gather with other Christians for worship thanksgiving ought to be a vital part of the service. If gratitude is not a dominant trait of a church then something is wrong with that church.
The other passage that spoke to me was this: “The one concern of the Christian is to tell in words and to show in life his gratitude for all that God has done for him in nature and in grace.” For some reason I did not expect to see the reference to nature here. I grew up in an evangelical environment and heard early on the importance of bearing witness to God’s salvation. I was taught to be grateful and to share with other people all the good things God had done for me. The hope was that someone who did not know Christ might then express the desire to be saved. In my words and in my life I was supposed to be a witness of God’s goodness and love.
With that background it seemed strange to read in Barclay’s commentary equal attention being given to sharing a witness with both one’s words and life to all that God has done for me “in nature.” A part of me wondered if he was using the word “nature” in a different way than I typically do. Perhaps he was. Still, as I have given it further thought, it seems quite appropriate to me that showing gratitude for God’s Creation and its provisions, along with telling others about their goodness, ought to be one of primary concerns or goals of those who worship and acknowledge Christ as the Creator.
I’ve written numerous times here about how Creation is God’s “other Book.” Through Creation we learn much about God and His ways. Each day we ought to give thanks for the way God makes Himself known through that which He has made. I’ve also written often in this blog about the goodness of the Creation, how God has designed the world, in part, to meet our needs. There is so much in Creation to be thankful for. Each day we ought to give thanks for things like the sun, the wind, trees, rain, clouds, rivers, mountains and lakes. Each day we should express our gratitude for water to drink, food to eat, and air to breathe. All of these are gifts from God, gifts that call for thanksgiving and gratitude. All of these are, likewise, gifts worth telling others about. The fact that they are so common and present all the time might lead us to believe that they are not so special or important. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. God has richly blessed us all in both the spiritual and natural realm. We need to gratefully acknowledge this and at the same time bear witness to these blessings with others.
John Muir thought of himself as “an evangelist” for the wilderness. I suspect God could use more evangelists like him. People who would declare the wonders of Creation, give thanks for them, and point others to the Creator. Next time you are outdoors try to be as still and attentive as you possibly can. Listen closely. Perhaps you might just hear God’s own voice saying, “Can I get a witness?”
–Chuck