For a lot of church people, the word witness evokes two things: court rooms and evangelicals. Which makes it a word we aren’t keen to use. But it is an important word in the gospel of John.

Over several chapters, Jesus calls his disciples witnesses of the grace of God through him. And that there job is to be witnesses of these things, sharing with others what they have seen.

While our associations with courts and evangelism color our response, we ought to set that aside to hear what Jesus is trying to say here.

Namely that we are to participate in the divine project.

We have a place in it. We see things. And therefore, we have a responsibility to share with others what we have seen. Not to win them or that otherwise we might burn. But because this is the nature of our relationship. With Jesus and the world. And with our own faith.