Have you ever heard a toddler ask, “Why?” If you have, you know one thing—it’s a question that won’t rest until it finds the bottom of something. My six-month-old daughter isn’t in that season yet, but seeing how fast these first six months have gone by, I know it’s not far off. So, I’ve been getting plenty of practice with the many toddlers found within the Damascus missionary community. Just the other day, one of the toddlers in the community looked at my shirt, which had “love” written in many different languages, and asked—“What’s your shirt say?” I responded. “It says ‘love’ in different languages.” Then, the infamous question came—“Why?” After sharing how love is something desired by everyone everywhere, the question still had not found the bottom—“Why?” Followed by another. Followed by another. Until eventually, I found the answer that satisfied. It went something like this—“… because I’ve never found someone who didn’t want to be loved, you know? I know I’m glad I’m loved. Aren’t you glad your mom and dad love you so much?” He replied, “Well, yeah. Of course!” And then he moved on to the urgent matter of running around. It got me thinking though…
Now, don’t fault me for taking a toddler too seriously. At the end of the day, it’s possible that he finally got bored of the question and ran off. But maybe there’s something else there. It was clear to me that he felt unsatisfied when I tried to give theories. Even putting them plainly felt confusing and lofty to him. However, a satisfactory answer finally came when I gave testimony—because testimony, at its core, is the most honest answer to the why question. It grounds our beliefs and concepts into events and experiences, and if you take two minutes to study the world around us, it’s clear that we were made for events and experiences—encounters with reality. From toddlers to us adults, it’s easy to follow and hard to reject testimony.
And we all have a testimony—in fact, we all have testimonies. Why do you believe in Jesus Christ? Keep going—past the arguments and past the reasoning. Emphasize you. Why do you believe in Jesus Christ? Have you experienced His love for you? Do you have a relationship with Him, rooted in prayer? That’s your testimony. Why do you believe in the Catholic Church? Again, go past the arguments and past the reasoning. Have you experienced its beauty, its power, its otherness? Why is the Eucharist real? You know what I’m going to say. Past the arguments and past the reasoning, you have a why. These are your testimonies, and they are the most powerful tool for evangelization. They come together to tell the story of a life changed, and when we live a life that is noticeably different, the story that changed that life is hard to refute.
This is why we should always be prepared to give, as St. Peter writes, a reason for the hope that is within us (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). We should be prepared to share a testimony. But we get hung up sometimes, right? Questions arise. How do I keep my testimony in mind? How do I know if it’s the right time to share a testimony? And how do I share my testimony without it feeling awkward or weird? These are all reasonable questions, but let’s not leave them rhetorical. Let’s see what we can do to answer each in turn.
First, preparation. Second, observation. And third, application.
First—How do I keep my testimony in mind? Simply put, this is a matter of intentionality. Ask the Lord in prayer to help you connect your beliefs to events and experiences you’ve had. Ask simple questions to Him, questions like—“Lord, will you help me remember any events or experiences that have led me to more fully believe or understand this part of my faith?” Write them down. And return to them occasionally when taking your daily prayer time. It’s less about remembering them word for word. It’s more about knowing them at an increasingly deep level.
Second—How do I know if it’s the right time to share a testimony? Well, what do you observe in the situation? Sharing our faith will never come without some risk, but it can be good to see what is appropriate for the situation. Is the person you’re with someone that you’re in relationship with? Do you see a way to ask a question to them before sharing your testimony? Something like, “I didn’t know you grew up Catholic. What was your experience like with the Church?” This can start a conversation that opens the door for you to share your testimony. But don’t merely rely on your own intuition here. Ask the Lord to help. As you go to meet someone, ask Him to help you love them, and if you’re feeling really bold, to help you love Him in front of them—in whatever way is possible.
And third—How do I share my testimony without it feeling awkward or weird? There are three areas to focus on here: 1) format, 2) tone, and 3) length. As for format, simply state the following—before the experience/event, the experience/event, and after the experience/event. What was true before? What happened? What changed? Then, make sure your tone is sincere. Be you—no need to change. And finally, when it comes to length, know what the situation calls for. It’s good to have a 30-second, 3-minute, and 30-minute version of your testimony. These cover almost any situation you could face.
Voilà, you’re ready to share testimony! Know your why. Know the situation you’re in. Know how to practically do it. And above all, know the Lord is with you. As it says in Revelation, the accuser is overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony (cf. Rev 12:11). In other words, Jesus and you are a powerful combination. Remember that. And remember His words—“I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
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Damascus is a Catholic missionary movement that helps as many people as possible encounter Jesus through camps, retreats, and events. We are seeing God change lives and restore hope, now and for generations to come. Join us in this adventure.
