“…But if I accept any of these assignments I misunderstand my proper work, for God doesn’t need me to defend him.  He doesn’t need me for a press secretary, explaining to the world that he didn’t really say what everyone thought they heard in that interview with Job, or that the quotation of his word by Paul was taken out of context and needs to be understood against the background paper that Isaiah wrote.

The proper work for the Christian is witness, not apology, and Psalm 124 is an excellent model.  It does not argue God’s help;  it does not explain God’s help; it is a testimony of God’s help in the form of a song.  The song is so vigorous, so confident, so bursting with what can only be called reality that it fundamentally changes our approach and our questions.  No longer does it seem of the highest priority to ask, “Why did this happen to me?  Why do I feel left in the lurch?”  Instead we ask, ” How does it happen that there are people who sing with such confidence, ‘God’s strong name is our help’?”  The psalm is data that must be accounted for, and the data are so solid, so vital, have so much more substance and are so much more interesting…”

p. 72-73, Eugene Peterson, The Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Witness, not apology is our proper work as Christians according to Peterson.  This is an encouragement for me because the qualification of our witness is based on the kind of people we are, instead of apologetics which is qualified by the knowledge that we have learned.  Anyone who is willing can give witness, but only those who gained expertise in particular disciplines can be effective apologists.  Witness (our testimony) speaks directly to the hearts of people, where as apology speaks to the minds of people and a blocked mind often is just an impregnable shield for a blocked heart.