The Road That I Must Walk

How much of myself (and my stuff) must I give up to follow Jesus? How does belonging to a faith community shape being a Christian? How do I walk in faith with friends whose faith is unclear or uncertain? What gives Christians hope in the face of power politics? Can I be pro-life and decry war, too? How do I make peace amidst the wrongs of the world? If you wonder about such questions, this book is for you. The Road That I Must Walk represents the author's own wrestling with the call and cost of discipleship across a decade. Rather than an academic attempt to define or describe discipleship, these are simply the words of a disciple, one who has sought to walk in the way of Jesus. Arising from various circumstances and responding to various concerns, the several pieces collected here comprise a sketchbook of ethical reflections, biblical meditations, and spiritual ponderings drawn from one person's journey of following Jesus. ""Belousek inspired me on many levels and I appreciated this opportunity to get acquainted with this disciple. I was intellectually and spiritually challenged by his theological excursus and grateful for his discerning reflection on his remarkable experiences. I came away richer as a result, and you will too."" --Arthur Boers, Bernardo Family Chair of Leadership, Tyndale Seminary, Toronto ""Some of the essays here are in their own right gems of theological argumentation, biblical exposition, and ethical reflection on the gospel of peace. What will bring me back to this book most often, however, is the way that Belousek models and invites us to pay prayerful attention to so many kinds of encounters we might otherwise miss along the disciple's journey--with the homeless and troubled, with the events of our times, with tragedies and joys, with the soil of farmland and the stone of sculpture, and above all with the Christ who speaks through them all, along the way."" --Gerald W. Schlabach, Professor of Theology, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota ""This book is both devotional and theological. Above all, it is biblical. I was challenged to know Jesus more deeply and to follow him, regardless of cost, as I read this book."" --Shirley Hershey Showalter, author of Blush ""For any follower of Jesus engaged in discernment about what it means to be a disciple, this book offers an insightful contemplative account of one pilgrim's faithful witness to Jesus's way of peace."" --Margaret Pfeil, Fellow, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, Indiana Darrin W. Snyder Belousek teaches philosophy and religion at Ohio Northern University and Bluffton University. He is the author of Atonement, Justice, and Peace: The Message of the Cross and the Mission of the Church (2012) and Good News: The Advent of Salvation in the Gospel of Luke (2014).