Everyday Stewardship / A Living Witness

He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking stick—no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in testimony against them.”                                         So they went off and preached repentance.
Mark 6:7-12

When one works for a parish, church organization, or is closely aligned with a Christian community, it causes some to be nervous. I always get a kick out of meeting people for the first time and when they hear I work in the Church, they want to tell me how they have been meaning to get back to attending a church, or how they have not yet found a place to attend on Sundays since they moved to the area: like 10 years ago. Of course, it’s funny now how all my non-Catholic friends want to tell me how much they like Pope Francis, as if I have tea with him every Friday at the Vatican.

That being said, as a Christian I do have a responsibility to share the Good News with others. If I had a powerful experience losing weight, finding a great restaurant,
or hearing a great piece of music, I would want to share that with others. Surely my relationship with Jesus Christ and what He has done for me by transforming my life is better than any weight loss, steak, or new band. How can I hide the most important aspect of my life?

Being a good steward helps them see what Jesus has done for me. They see that I am striving to be more giving, more gracious, and more welcoming. Hopefully, they see something they want also. I can tell them more about my faith, but hopefully my actions will cause them to inquire first. If they choose to reject me for who I am I can only pray the next good steward that crosses their path intrigues them more. Meanwhile, I can love them as they are, people just like me, looking for what I have already found.