Following vs. Knowing

Beyond the Image

While driving to church recently, praying for a visiting minister, a simple moment on the freeway stirred a deeper question in my heart.

Up ahead, a state police vehicle was parked on the shoulder, partially blocking traffic. There were no flashing lights visible from the front. Everything seemed calm. But as I passed the vehicle, I noticed something striking—the lights on top of the car were illuminated from the back, signaling an emergency to anyone following behind.

It occurred to me that perspective changes everything.

If you were following the police car, you would assume there was urgency—something serious happening ahead. If you were approaching it, you would think nothing was wrong at all. Same vehicle. Same reality. Two very different perceptions.

That moment became a metaphor.

Following an Image vs. Knowing a Person

This dynamic isn’t limited to a police car on the freeway. It plays out every day in how we relate to leaders, influencers, and public figures.

If we follow someone through social media, books, sermons, or podcasts, we experience the image they project. The message is curated. The lighting is right. The words are polished. From a distance, everything looks purposeful and powerful—almost larger than life.

But stand in front of that same person, eye to eye, and often what you encounter is very different: ordinary conversation, everyday concerns, normal human joys and struggles. The emergency lights fade. The image softens. The person emerges.

This raises an important question: What’s the difference between following someone and truly knowing them?

In our culture, “following” has become a substitute for relationship. We consume content and mistake familiarity for intimacy. We assume access equals understanding. But knowing someone goes far beyond observing their image—it means encountering who they are beyond imagination, branding, or projection.

The word icon fits well here. An icon represents something—it points beyond itself—but it is not the fullness of the reality. When we follow icons, we often fall in love with what they symbolize rather than who they truly are.

Faith, Icons, and Knowing Christ

This tension is especially important for Christians to consider.

Many of us claim to be Christ-followers—but is following the same as knowing?

Jesus is described in Scripture as “the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15). Yet paradoxically, to truly know Him is to move beyond surface-level knowledge, beyond slogans, beyond religious imagery.

Paul prays in Ephesians:

“To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)

There is a kind of knowing that surpasses information. It’s relational. Transformational. Personal.

The danger is that we can become followers of a personality, a platform, or even a religious image of Jesus—without truly knowing Him in the depths of our lives. We may admire His teachings, quote His words, and celebrate His influence, while keeping Him at a safe distance from our failures, fears, and valleys.

The Cost of Image-Building

We live in a world that promotes icons because icons are safe. They don’t disappoint us the way real people do. They don’t struggle publicly. They don’t fail in ways that make us uncomfortable.

Bright lights, accolades, trophies, success stories—these are easy to follow.

Real people are harder.

Many leaders feel trapped inside carefully crafted images, knowing that if people get too close, rejection may follow. We often accept the image but reject the human being. And so, authenticity becomes risky, vulnerability rare, and true relationship scarce.

Yet the gospel tells a different story.

God does not love an image of us. He loves us—because of Jesus. And God chose not merely to send an image, but a Person. In Christ, God made Himself knowable, touchable, approachable.

We’re All in This Together

None of us is leaving this world alive. That shared truth levels the ground beneath us.

We all experience mountaintops and valleys. Success and failure. Joy and grief. Strength and weakness. Recognizing this shared humanity reminds us of our deep need for authentic relationships—not just followers and leaders, but brothers and sisters.

Icons may inspire us, but only relationships transform us.

A Question Worth Asking

So the question isn’t whether we follow—because we all do.

The question is how we follow.

Am I following an image, or am I pursuing true knowledge? Am I content with distance, or am I willing to draw near? Am I merely a follower of Jesus, or am I truly learning to know Him?

If there’s no way to know someone personally, we must be careful how tightly we cling to their image. And if we are leaders ourselves, we must ask whether we are brave enough to be known—not just admired.

Jesus invites us into something deeper than fandom. He invites us into relationship.

And that kind of knowing changes everything.

Have a great day.