Baker: Bearing witness

I see you. I am here for you. I will not turn away. You matter to me. These words are an example of what it means to “bear witness.” We see — we witness — many things in our everyday lives, but bearing witness is something else. For example, you may witness a car crash— or its aftermath. You see it in the distance as you drive by. To bear witness is to be wholly present: for instance, if you were right there at the scene of the car crash as it happened, you might hold the hand of the driver as they crawl out of their wrecked car. You might give them some water, or call 911 for them.

Witnessing is passive; it doesn’t call you to action. Bearing witness is involvement. We speak of a pregnant woman as “bearing” a child. She is intimately connected to that child as it grows in her womb. She carries it— in her heart and in her body. When we bear witness, we are carrying someone’s situation in our hearts. We let it in; we feel empathy. We are fully present.