Walking as a Spiritual Discipline
Nov.2019
In this blog, I would like to invite you to take a journey with me. No, not a physical journey to some far off land. This journey will require you to use your imagination and enter into your soul and explore some of your deepest thoughts. Yes, it is a spiritual journey, one that will help examine your life and look at where you have been and where God's Spirit is leading you. At times, this will not be an easy journey, because it may require that you have to look at some difficult times in your life. But, trust me, the time you invest will be well worth the effort as you come to understand that the path upon which you found yourself will be a path you would not have chosen for yourself. However, you will rejoice and celebrate as you find new meaning in your life. Why Walking?
I suspect that when you got out of bed, you did not give the steps you took much thought. If you were not afflicted with a physical deformity, walking is something which we do not think much about. Each step is an automatic sequence in response to your brain waves. We think about a direction we want to go, and Zap! we are on our way. What if the act of walking is more that just a mechanical exercise? What if the act of walking takes us down a path that opens some of the deepest secrets of our lives? What if walking opens up Godly revelations that lead to new visions or addresses old concerns? Would this idea change what we think, act and feel about the world in which we live and how we live out our lives? With these thoughts in mind, we will quickly conclude that walking is a spiritual discipline that may be worth exploring.
What is spiritual about "walking"?
A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to supervise a Christian Jr. high church camp. It was always a week of high energy! To help release some of that youthful energy, I always scheduled one day to hike up Laramie Peak just west of Douglas, WY. The mountain ascended 10,000 into the heavens, and it took hours traversing the switchbacks to reach the top. Once reaching the top, I had the kids sit down to eat their lunches and then took the time to open the minds of these impressionable children. My attempt was to raise questions as to what spiritual lessons they had learned on the long trek up the mountain. We talked about how difficult the climb was, what we encountered along the way, how the terrain changed along the way, and whether or not this long difficult journey was worth it. This discussion was taking place as we gazed out over the horizon. You see, from the peak you could look to the east and your eyes could see the western plans of Nebraska. If you looked to the south, you could gaze in awe at the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. From our vantage point, I reminded the kids that a few hours earlier when we started our trek in the valley below, our vision was obstructed by mountain and trees encountered along the way. But now, we could lay claim to the magnificent glory of God and his creation. Our vision was unobstructed, and we could see to the far reaches of the horizon! Only then could I teach them how we can look at life from different perspectives and how we encounter God along the way.
What I had hoped for was that the kids could learn what it meant to walk in a sacred space. And while in that space, to stop and listen to the voice of God as He was whispering in their ears.
Now, I wish I could say that these thoughts were my original pronouncements, however, I cannot take credit. The reality is that my wisdom was gleaned through the Old and New Testaments. You see, the Bible has a lot to teach us about what it means to "walk".
Walking is not just the physical means to get from here to there. Walking, as used in the Scriptures, will offer a profound definition which point us to a spiritual journey. If you have any doubts, just look at the many ways in which the Bible uses the term. For example: In the Old Testament the people of Israel are always called upon to "walk" in the ways of the Lord. (1st Kings 2:1-4) In Isaiah 33:15f the prophet encourages his followers to "walk in righteousness", and they would find refuge in God. In John's gospel, the apostle records Jesus as saying that He, Jesus, is the way, the truth and the life, whoever believes in him shall have eternal life. (Jn. 14:6) In other words, those who walk in the footsteps of the Christ will find true life! Furthermore, John reminds us that when we walk, we walk in love. (2 Jn. 6) Walking with God opens our minds and souls as to what it means to love.
Consequently, we cannot deny the importance of walking as a spiritual disciple. So I ask you, when was the last time you took a walk? And when was the last time you stopped to hear the whisper of God's voice in your soul? You're now invited to join me in walking into sacred places!
Howdy, Walking it is. It will be a sad day when I can no longer walk. This journey through life is a walk. There are also physical walks which I cannot get enough of and I don't know why. Perhaps a walk is and extended metaphor for living a life as best you can. Some paths are crooked and some paths are straight and narrow and for both hard is the way. There's rest at the end until we are born again and come back for another walk. Indeed, God is everywhere, everywhere you walk.
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