I have been trying to walk more lately, so I bought a fitness tracker that counts my steps. I set a goal to walk at least 5,000 steps every day. Regular walking can be a goal for many of us, for pleasure or for health. The benefits are both spiritual and physical. We can walk with a friend or a family member. When we do, we might alter our pace so we can walk side by side.
Jesus walked. He had to. He walked with his disciples, friends and followers who followed him on the dusty, rocky roads and pathways of those ancient days.
While I prefer smooth, level walkways, sometimes the path is not always easy. Often, we are faced with struggles and injustices. But we never walk alone. God walks with us, through good times and bad.
As we walk together on this journey, we should consider those we walk with. We should set our gait to walk together as companions. I hope we can share the experience of walking together with inclusion and companionship. As we go into the world, let us walk in faith and love.
This message is excerpted from “How can we walk together?” by Susan Harris from the September 9, 2019, blog of the Women of the ELCA.