Originally published at Southern Cross
By Cecilia González-Andrieu, Ph.D.
“Disciple” is a word we rarely use outside a religious setting. My abuela, who had been a great singer in her youth, consistently used “disciple” to describe the complex relationship between her and her students. Violeta was her discipula, she insisted. This meant that my abuela was methodically sharing knowledge, experience and technique with Violeta. But the end goal was not for Violeta to know about singing; no, the goal for a disciple was different.
She didn’t just have to read music or know the intricacies of time signatures; all of this was there to facilitate an action — that glorious moment when Violeta’s own beautiful voice would emerge to continue what my abuela had started with her own singing. Violeta would sing and outlive my abuela, and continue giving to others not simply knowledge about singing, but what it is to actually sing.
As we are called to relationship in the Gospels, it is as disciples with Jesus our teacher. Through every parable and how he lives in the world, Jesus prepares us to sing the way he has been singing. The way he understands God wants us to sing. Discipleship is a choice where we
