By Marcia Lee (Detroit, MI)

*This is the fourth installation of a year-long series of posts from contributors all over North America each answering the question, “How would you define radical discipleship?” We will be posting responses regularly on Mondays during 2019.

There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.
William Stafford

Radical discipleship is the willingness to surrender to the thread that is your vocation; a commitment to listen deeply to what it calls you to do-in this moment in time; and to be disciplined in follow through of that commitment: in the context of our community and what the world needs.

In different times and
different circumstances:
what is called for in order for us to live beloved community
what it means follow the example of Mary, Jesus, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr.,
and so many other unnamed people, plants and animals
how this thread shows up
what it invites you to do
how you do it
this changes.
But the thread remains the same.

Radical discipleship is to live this calling in what we say and what we do:
nothing more
and
nothing less.

~Marcia is a learner, seeker of beautiful questions, healer, spiritual being, wife, sister, daughter, and friend.