Today I watched a TED talk entitled “How to Start a Movement.” It was thought-provoking and funny. The speaker’s main point was that it takes guts to be a leader, but it might take even more guts to be the leader’s first follower. Movements, he said, are started when some brave person decides to follow a “lone nut.” The first follower is the one who makes a solitary evaluation and takes a massive personal risk. But this follower is the one that makes it safer and easier for another person to follow, and then another and another. The first follower is the hinge of the movement.
The video shown by the speaker to illustrate this point is hilarious and has nothing to do with “the Christian movement.” And I certainly wouldn’t refer to Jesus Christ as a “lone nut” (though he’s been called worse). But I was struck by the importance of the “first follower.” It made me think of you.
We might identify Jesus’ “first follower” as Mary or one of the disciples. But somewhere and at some time, you will need to be this “first follower.” Whether in your home, or in a friendship, or in your workplace or in some other public arena, you will be the one who stands by Christ when he looks like a “lone nut.” You will be the one who has to go over and look nutty with him! You will make an evaluation and take a risk. You might look like a fool. But you will be the hinge that starts a movement.