Intro to Kierkegaard

My exposure to Soren Kierkegaard is very limited. I've heard some quotes over the years and I've heard his name tossed around followed by positive comments, so I decided to pick up one of his most famous books, Works of Love. He is quickly rising up the favorites list. I'm only through the second chapter and I'm already hooked on his thought processes.

Starting with the command to "love your neighbour as yourself," he breaks down every angle of the command and the picture of love that comes from his argument is life changing. Not the kind of thing you say is "life changing" but is really not... with his understanding of love, given that it is actually applied to real life, we're talking about a completely different life.

To understand that love is a command, not a consideration, is the most freeing idea. Every angle of this new idea of life was falling into place, except one. So at each pause in reading I was struggling to understand how one should deal with losing the object of love, and then I worked my way to the last paragraph in chapter two. Time for an excerpt...

"But this "You shall sorrow" is both true and beautiful. I do not have the right to harden myself against the pains of life, for I ought to sorrow; but neither have I the right to despair, for I ought to sorrow; furthermore, neither do I have the right to stop sorrowing, for I ought to sorrow. So it is also with love. You have no right to harden yourself against this emotion, for you ought to love; but neither do you have the right to love despairingly, for you ought to love; just as little do you have the right to misuse this emotion in you, for you ought to love. You ought to preserve the love and you ought to preserve yourself and in and by preserving yourself to preserve the love. There where the merely human wants to storm forth, the command still holds; there where the merely human would lose courage, the command strengthens; there where the merely human would become tired and clever, the command flames up and gives wisdom. The command consumes and burns out what is unsound in your love, but through the command you shall be able to kindle it again when humanly considered it would cease. When you think you can easily give counsel, take the command as your counsel; but when you do not know how to counsel, the command shall prevail so that everything nevertheless comes out well."

Kierkegaard was a smart man.