This was my "daily dig" from Bruderhof:
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Followers and Admirers
Søren Kierkegaard

The difference between an admirer and a follower still remains, no matter where you are. The admirer never makes any true sacrifices. He always plays it safe. Though in words, phrases, songs, he is inexhaustible about how highly he prizes Christ, he renounces nothing, gives up nothing, will not reconstruct his life, will not be what he admires, and will not let his life express what it is he supposedly admires. Not so for the follower. No, no. The follower aspires with all his strength, with all his will to be what he admires. And then, remarkably enough, even though he is living amongst a "Christian people," the same danger results for him as was once the case when it was dangerous to openly confess Christ. And because of the follower's life, it will become evident who the admirers are, for the admirers will become agitated with him. Even that these words are presented as they are here will disturb many - but then they must likewise belong to the admirers.
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Ouch. As I reflect on what this might say of me, I find that I've been much more of an admirer of many things than a follower of anything. Where am I now? Following hard after Christ, seeking to be like Him, to think like Him, to spend time with Him and learn His ways in the midst of all this. But I get distracted, too - drawn in admiration to this website or that author or this movie or that soundtrack.

Perhaps a key is to find the "one thing" worth pursuing, and then to pursue that thing, just like Curly said. But if that one that "one thing" is Christ - then while the pursuit is passionate, the stops along the way are also done in passionate pursuit of Him. Even the "distractions" need to serve to point us to the narrow gate along the narrow path.

I don't want to be an admirer, but a follower. I want to follow, and admire those who follow - inasmuch as it spurs me on my own journey.
- posted by Rick @ 16:03