With Lent coming to an end, it is a good time to reflect on our discipleship and what inspires us to put our faith into action. The richness, complexity, and personal practices that we engage with express our faith in a way that reflects who we are, and what we are called to do. The end of Lent also offers us a time to reflect on our own theology and how we understand Jesus’ message. Our understanding of Jesus’ message is shaped by our own context and experiences, and how we live this out comes in a variety of ways, with no one way being the ‘right’ one. Our openness to learning more about what it is to be a disciple reflects the importance of listening to those around us with different experiences and in different contexts than we have.
Over Lent, we published a blog reflecting Queer love, which explored authentic queer expression, queer community, and the joy which can come from this. By embracing those living their authentic lives, expressing their authentic love, we must ensure our love for them is shown through our actions. We live in a time where trans* rights are under threat in the global north, trans* rights in the global south are equally as uncertain, and anti-trans* rhetoric is forever growing within mainstream conversation, where queer people around the world don’t have the safety and comfort to express themselves authentically due to discrimination and homophobia. Despite all this, queer and trans* people continue to express themselves authentically and in a variety of different ways to ensure their authentic voice can be heard. The love between, and of, queer people is more than romantic, it is a love of the perseverance it takes to continue to bloom in a world that seeks to repress authentic and unbound love. To live out this love is to embody the love of your neighbours, whether they are like you or not.
In our next blog Mo shared their reflections on understanding how our discipleship can be shaped by trauma, and how to begin navigating discipleship whilst being trauma-informed. Navigating discipleship in light of our personal experiences can be challenging and can leave us feeling as if our discipleship isn’t good enough, or we haven’t done enough. Mo highlights that the impact of trauma on our ability to be disciples is not something we need to hold shame about, but instead something we can be conscious of and make the best decisions for ourselves with. Through reflecting on trauma, how it has shaped us, and how we can live out discipleship with it, our actions become aligned with what is safe and comfortable for us.
Costly discipleship was then explored by Jacob, who brought together Bonhoeffer, love, and the cross. He highlights the importance of listening to our call from Christ, and how the messages we hear inform our discipleship. It is our actions in the world that challenge us but can bring us closer to God by doing them. God is in solidarity with us in the struggles we face within our discipleship whilst also providing us with grace. Though discipleship can be personally costly, it doesn’t mean we should give up our call, it means we can find solidarity with God and those in the community which surrounds us.
Niamh shared an adapted talk she gave at Greenbelt in 2024. She shared her reflections on Liberation Theology and creating intergenerational discipleship, recognising that Liberation Theology in the British context must carry decolonisation at the forefront of its work. The shift away from universalised theological approaches creates a new ‘British’ theology and theological culture, that is entwined with the notion of ‘British values’. Niamh notes how these values are not the ones which will liberate us or the church from colonialisation, but instead the intergenerational nature of a place of worship allows us to build authentic and personal relationships with those who have different wisdom and experiences than ourselves. To build these relationships and break down intergenerational barriers is part of what true community building looks like, and it is how we learn from one another to become better disciples.
What does all this mean? How can we grow as disciples?
For me, it is important to reflect on the ideas and shared knowledge of those around us. To bring together all our ideas and experiences to consider the world we live in slightly differently, in a more informed way. I often reflect on the call I am receiving currently, and how my gifts help me grow into following my call. I also listen to the voices and gifts of others and am always open to learning more about the experiences of others allows me to grow in my discipleship and understanding of others. To grow as a disciple, for me, is to commit to learning about others, their experiences, and to follow the call we have received in love and community.