Matters of faith seldom get much of an airing in the newspapers but the handful of utterances Katie Taylor made with reference to Jesus have produced nearly as many column inches as her gold medal! Her heartfelt gratitude for His presence with her and her thanks to all who prayed for her has made some think.

Of course the good news that Jesus is a present reality to those who have placed their faith in Him is divisive – just as Jesus said it would be.

On the one hand there is the Journalist, who has conducted a lonely campaign for Christ in the media, taking pleasure at the embarrassment of his fellow reporters at Katie’s clear testimony.

This was countered by another who disingenuously argued that it was the time factor in having to rush his script to meet editor’s deadlines that made enquiry into what Katie meant impossible. Yet another article from a self proclaimed agnostic who in commending tolerance of individual beliefs added somewhat darkly that we need to set limits on religious fundamentalism.

Perhaps the confusion Katie’s unassuming love for Jesus has created was best summed up by one in the changing rooms of a public swimming pool. After weighing the arguments for and against knowing Jesus personally he announced that he now understood himself to be a “Catholic atheist”!

What has the Bible to say to all this?

Perhaps the most obvious thing was the almost total absence of any reference to it by any of the writers. One did admit to reading the Sermon on the Mount but used it to find inadequacies in the “Religious” and thus facilitate his rejection of faith.

The Biblical requirement for believers in Jesus to be witnesses is mandatory.

In the Old Testament, before Jesus arrived on the earth, The Psalmist could sing the words “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so” out of heartfelt thankfulness for His enduring love which rescued them out of exile in the other nations to be His people (Psalm 107 verses 1/2).

In the New Testament following the crucifixion and resurrection the risen Jesus commissioned His disciples to be witnesses of His enduring love which had rescued them from their addiction to sin and unbelief to be His people “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1 verse 8).

Katie stands in a long line of those who have trusted Jesus and out of gratitude for his love to them set out on a path of witness to His presence and His enabling grace to keep them in His care on this life and the next.

What Katie did was to trust in what Jesus has done and is doing. Will you?