Christianity has long used the word "disciple" and "follower" to label the relationship we have with Jesus.

The Greek word "mathetes" and "mathetria" - is used in the Gospels to denote the relationship people close to Jesus have with him. It easily become a "rabbinic" relationship - Jesus is often called "rabbi" and he doesn't rebut this designation. Without reflection, this easily slides into a "master" and "student" or servant relationship.

Christianity has done a good job of fostering this slide with clergy - those in ordained and other professional leadership roles - traditionally being given a higher authority than lay members of the church.

This has long troubled me. It is not simply a dislike of hierarchy - but that too. But it is not consistent with both the spirit and letter of the Gospel witness. "I do not call you servants [actually: slaves] any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing" (John 15:15). Jesus deflects the master - servant relationship and in its place proposes that the relationship with those who walk with him is actually that of friends.

And the relationship with friends is one where learning is shared freely because the whole of life is a matter of learning more about what we apprehend to be the truth of God. "I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father." (John 15:15)

So in English we translate the Greek words "mathetes" (masculine) and "mathetria" (feminine) as disciple and use the verb "follow" to indicate the priority given to the "master" (English rooted in the Latin word "magister" meaning "teacher")

I propose a moratorium for our time on the use of the words "disciple" ("discipleship") and "follower" when the Gospels use the Greek words "mathetes" and "mathetria". For me they conjure up a style of primary-secondary hierarchical relationship which is contrary to both Jesus' Way of being (Acts 9:2) and his intent for all humanity.

My father - also an ordained minister - once gave me a little booklet in German which clarified language usage in the Gospels. For the word "mathetes" the translation into German was proposed to be "Wegbegleiter". When adapted into English this might be paraphrased as "someone who walks together on the way towards a shared destination." To me the word "companion" springs to mind. A friend and companion on the Way.

God call us to be the church together. And for me that means we become "companions and friends" who walk with Jesus (and all other people of goodwill) together on the Way of promise, hope, justice and peace - heaven - now and then.

More to come.....