The simplest tasked of being a Christian is now getting harder, such as going to church on Sunday. In the last ten years the shops have been opening on Sundays. This may not be an obvious problem and many would think that if you didn’t want to shop on Sunday you wouldn’t have to. If you consider all the staff, they don’t have any real choice of whether they work Sunday or not, then it does become a problem. Going to church on Sunday is the base of our religion and if we fail to do this as a community what chance do we have of being disciples.
Even though it is hard to rise to the challenge and become a disciple, people have done it. Mother Theresa was an example of a modern day disciple, she was a Roman Catholic nun who, whilst serving as the principal of a convent in Calcutta was moved by the presence of the sick and dying in the city. She left her post at the high school to begin a ministry among the sick. She then extended her work worldwide and in recognition of her efforts she received the Nobel peace prize in 1979. This was a woman who devoted her whole life to God first taking the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a nun and then in addition took a vow pledging service to the poor.
She showed the qualities of a true disciple by putting others needs before her own and living herself in poverty to save others, healing and preaching. She served others and was generous until she could do no more. It was only her getting ill that stopped her doing so much and even then she took some time to help others. I think this is really showing the qualities of the disciples by healing and spreading God’s message.
Martin Luther King was another example of somebody who took up the challenge of being a disciple in the postmodern world. Martin Luther King challenged the American authority because of their view of black people, in doing this he had to over-come injustice and pressure from those around. He believed that racism should be abolished and everyone should be treated with equal rights. He was a powerful man, and was very good with words his most memorable speech was ‘I had a Dream’ and this speech has gone down in history.
His life can be compared to that of Jesus’, they both stood up for what they believe in no matter the cost. Both of them ended up getting killed because of their belief. Lastly they both had a form of resurrection, Jesus more literally, when he came back to earth and appeared to the eleven. Whereas Martin Luther King didn’t physically rise again, his work gave the blacks in America, and worldwide, hope, and now they have integrated into society.
If everyone in everyday life could be more like the disciples the kingdom of God could once again come near as is said in Mark 1:15. What I think is meant by this is once we get rid of all the unnecessary evil earth will be like heaven, or it will be easier for the average person to be a disciple and therefore get into heaven.
In conclusion even though it is hard for people to rise to the challenge of being a disciple because of the media, consumerism and materialism people have done it. Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King both devoted their lives to helping rid the world of evils. Martin Luther King tried to rid America of the ‘demon; of racism and Mother Theresa tried to rid the third world of the ‘demon’ of poverty.
Dean Boyd