There are moments in sport when you stop and realise you’re watching something special.
For a while now, people have been raving about Isaiya Katoa, the young halfback and co-captain of the Dolphins. I’ve watched plenty of their games and always thought he looked like a skilful player.
But last weekend, in their defeat to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, there was one moment that made me stop and think: this kid really is special.
The Dolphins were trailing and the game was essentially lost. Katoa received the ball and, running into the line, threw a dummy – then another, more animated one – taking Latrell Mitchell out of the play.
He slipped past the point Mitchell had been defending and, almost in the same motion, launched a perfect rainbow pass over the outstretched arms of Alex Johnston, dropping it straight into the hands of his winger.
On paper it might sound simple. But anyone who understands the speed of rugby league knows it was anything but. The vision, timing and composure required to execute it were extraordinary. It was pure class.
People had been telling me how good Katoa was for a while. But in that moment, I saw it for myself.
That moment reminded me of something I had been thinking about last weekend while listening to Lila Rose’s podcast with her siblings, discussing the role of personal testimonies in the Christian life.
Her brother Paul raised an interesting challenge. Sometimes, he suggested, Christians can become overly dependent on testimonies – stories about what God has done in someone’s life – rather than focusing on the deeper truth of who God actually is.
Then, during Mass last Sunday, the Gospel seemed to echo that exact point. In the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in the Gospel of John, the woman runs back to her town and tells everyone about Christ. Many believe because of what she says.
But after they meet Jesus themselves, the people say something remarkable to the woman: “Now we no longer believe because of what you told us; we have heard him ourselves and we know that he really is the saviour of the world.”
The woman’s testimony mattered. It was the reason they went to see Jesus in the first place. Without her words, they might never have gone.
But eventually their belief rested not on her story, but on Christ Himself – on who He is.
I don’t think personal testimonies are a bad thing. In fact, they can be powerful, especially for people who are far from the Church. Hearing how God has worked in someone’s life can spark curiosity and open the door to faith.
In that sense, testimonies are a bit like recommendations in sport. Someone might tell you a young player is special and encourage you to watch them.
But sooner or later you have to see it for yourself.
And in faith, the same principle applies. Christianity isn’t ultimately about admiring what God has done for someone else – or even just what He has done for us.
It’s about knowing the truth of God Himself.
The Samaritan woman’s testimony led people to Christ. But once they came to know Him, they realised something important.
Their faith no longer rested on her words.
It rested on him.
