If there is a single word to describe a key mantra of living and leadership, it is pursuit. One must pursue More. Whatever is happening, it is never quite enough. More love, compassion, and community are good things. The act of reaching for service, excellence, and quality is not one that has a final destination. There is always more that we can do. Satisfaction comes in giving our all to the effort, not in reaching a particular place or status.
I feel pursuit like an itch. It is something that I feel if I am not doing it. When I am pursuing what is right, a sense of purpose brings a unique kind of peace. It is as if my body knows it is doing what it was created to do. When my pursuit is selfish, everything is on edge. I can feel the tension, as if I am fighting with guilt.
As I look back, I realize I could do more in my invitation to others in joining this quest. The ideal is not about doing the specifics. It is always about her/his passion. How much of their soul is committed to the pursuit? Does s/he let it go on a whim? Will s/he pursue without regard for their safety? Somewhere, much closer to the last question, is an ideal that lives through our priorities and actions.
A wisdom father came to a realization that sounds familiar to me. “Dear friends, I’ve dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting—begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish.” (Jude 1.3) While not everyone responded, it is the role of those aspiring to leadership to present the invitation.
In the quietness of the morning, it is a question worth considering. Am I pursuing or simply enjoying? I know my answer – life, living, and freedom are steps not a destination. I must pursue More. Divinity’s invitation for how we live.
