Witnesses and the Great Pioneer

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us…”

(Hebrews 12: 1).

We are in a time of great challenge in our world but also one of great promise. We are bombarded, on the one hand, with 24/7 news coverage, divisive politics, angry people, selfishness, violence, homelessness, climate change, and so much more. On the other hand, we are held up by the ever-present love of Almighty God and the people who give us such courage and strength because of the way that they try to live in the hope that Jesus empowered us with.

Jesus, as Hebrews reminds us, is the “great pioneer,” the One who blazed a trail of life and love that led Him to Calvary. But, from the disciples on down to the present time, Christ’s example has given us a “great cloud of witnesses,” people who have represented and kept the faith of Jesus’ saving Cross and the life that His sacrifice has given us. And, because we see people acting with faith and conviction, we are able to move forward, discerning and praying about the work that God has presented us. What is the race we are called to run in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ? How can we hold each other up, when our neighbor falls, and help carry them toward the finish line, whatever that line may be? We are a “cloud of witnesses” to each other, giving evidence by the way our lives proclaim the good news of God in Jesus. So, put on your spiritual running shoes, hold onto your neighbor, and let’s get movin’!