Go For a Walk!
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“Walk by faith, not by sight.”
I am so jealous of Rev. Jan Scott. She and her daughter are on a walking adventure through Scotland. She walks eight to eleven miles per day and sees some of the world's most beautiful sights. I know this because she sent me amazing photos. Jan is a person of faith, and I believe the act of walking across Scotland will provide more than just quality time with her daughter. Walking and taking pilgrimage is an ancient Christian practice. So often, God speaks when we are physically active. I believe this occurs, in part, because we are focusing on our body and leaving our soul open to inspiration.
The writer, Thomas Oppong, shares the power of walking in his article "Why Intelligent Minds Take Their Brains For Long Walks." Oppong affirms, "Aristotle, Charles Dickens, Henry David Thoreau, Virginia Woolf, Albert Einstein, Friedrich Nietzsche, and others made time for long walks." Oppong continues, "They used long walks for contemplation, reflection and problem-solving." Oppong states, "It will help you gain new perspectives on life and keep you healthy as well as stimulate your brain." Sometimes, you stop obsessing when you focus on more than one thing. Obsession keeps you from reasoning. When you walk, concentrate on the steps; your thoughts relax and open up.
The act of pilgrimage was more than just the benefit of arrival at a sacred site. The process of pilgrimage is its religious activity. Pilgrimages were often dangerous endeavors. Walking long distances in the ancient world was often dangerous. Thieves knew the pilgrimages involved many people who traveled long distances, in places where they were not familiar, with enough currency to pay their way to and from the sacred site. Walking made them vulnerable. The act of vulnerability was part of the pilgrimage. Further, to protect themselves, the pilgrims walked in groups for protection. The experience of community provides support and care for the pilgrim.
God calls us to walk. But not just put in the 10,000 steps per day, but to walk with divine thought and intention. Walking puts us in the world of God's creation. So today, take a walk and try to clear your mind. Let the daily obligations float out of your mind, and leave the Holy Spirit room to speak to you. Each time you go for a walk, permit yourself to make it a pilgrimage. Trust God to talk to you through movement and the intellect. Remember, God is trying hard to reach out to you. A simple walk is just another way to reach out to God's wisdom and love.
