FIRST GLIMPSE: snapshots of discipleship

Eric Thomsen is the managing editor of ONE Magazine. Send comments and observations about ONE to editor@nafwb.org.

“The process of becoming like Christ.”

“Christians drawing closer to God.”

“Maturity that makes believers more like Christ.”

“The process of acquiring the characteristics and qualities of Christ.”

“The pursuit of Christlikeness.”

“A life that revolves around the teachings and example of Jesus.”

The quotes above are a sampling of the answers I received during a (very) informal survey of friends, family, co-workers, and three complete strangers. The question? What is discipleship? While the definitions are as unique as the people who supplied them, I encountered three common elements.

The People. Diverse. Asian, European, American, African; Red, yellow, black, white; short, tall, big, small; quiet, loud, reserved, outgoing; wealthy, poor, educated, illiterate, tribal, metropolitan; every tongue, every tribe, every nation—disciples defy description. But they are all people. They hurt. They bleed. They sometimes fail. They look in the mirror and wonder, “Can I make it through another day?” or “Am I worthy to be called a disciple?”

The Process. People in motion, disciples share a common direction. They wend their way closer to the mind of Christ, the heart of God. Moving at their own pace, disciples strive daily to relinquish any rights of ownership to their lives, surrendering instead to the guidance of the Master. Like marathon runners, disciples pace themselves for the race of human existence, looking constantly toward the goal where the coach waits with arms outstretched.

IN VISUAL TERMS, CHRIST IS THE TREASURED PHOTOGRAPH EACH DISCIPLE TAPES TO HIS OR HER DRESSER MIRROR TO INSPIRE DAILY GROOMING.

The Person. In visual terms, Christ is the treasured photograph each disciple tapes to his or her dresser mirror to inspire daily grooming. And what an inspiration! Remember the awkward twelve: bashful, backward, selfish, arrogant men who spent every waking moment with Jesus? Fast-forward three years. The same group stands together, bold and dynamic leaders of the early church, willing to follow their Savior to death. Disciples? Yes. In every sense of the word. They “turned the world upside down.”

As you flip through the pages of this magazine, you will encounter snapshots of discipleship—stories of men, women, and children caught in the act of following Jesus. Perhaps you will relate to the challenges, the tragedies, and sometimes the triumphs they encountered along the way.