Discipleship must involve a focus on both Jesus and the wider mystery of Christ. A personal relationship with Jesus provides a grounding, but one must also understand the cosmic dimension of Christ—the “energy that lures creation towards its Creator” and the “soul that binds the whole of physical creation together”.
Being rooted in Christ is not a purely individual endeavor. It means being integrated into the visible community of believers, the Church, which Rolheiser calls the “more flawed body of Christ on here on earth”. This commitment to a community is non-negotiable for authentic Christian conversion. Christian discipleship is a lifelong process with three main stages:
Essential Discipleship: The early stage involves the “struggle to get our lives together.” This period, often beginning in adolescence, focuses on finding one’s identity, meaning, and place in the world.
Mature Discipleship: In adulthood, the focus shifts to the “struggle to give our lives away.” This is a generative stage of living for others and giving back to the community. Qualities like empathy, forgiveness, and gratitude define this phase.
Radical Discipleship: The final stage, often late in life, is the “struggle to give our deaths away.” This involves accepting diminishment and mortality with grace, much like Jesus’s passivity during his passion. By dying well and without bitterness, one can leave a final blessing for the world.
Rootedness in Christ requires honesty with oneself, a willingness to admit our faults and stop rationalizing our failures. For Rolheiser, “No honest heart will stray far or stay long from the truth,” and honest self-acknowledgment allows Christ to find and heal us. A life rooted in Christ is ultimately a life overflowing with gratitude. For Rolheiser, the deepest reality is that we have all been touched by “loving hands”. Living in gratitude for this reality is a mark of a mature disciple. [Adapted from Ron Rolheiser’s teaching on being “rooted” in Christ]