How can we walk together?

by Guest blogger

by Susan Harris

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. Researchers say that number of steps brings health benefits.  Some days I accomplish my goal; other times, I fall short.

Occasionally, I exceed my goal for the day. You might also have a step goal for the day or week. We walk to improve our health—to lower our cholesterol, to lose weight, or to decrease blood pressure.

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.

We can walk about anywhere: down the street, through the park, around the block, on the track, at the gym. If we’re walking, we’re moving forward.

Moving into the future

Taking one step after another, we move into the future. And by walking together, we are moving into the future together.

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.

We, in Women of the ELCA, walk together in many ways–through our Bible studies;  with our special initiatives, our offerings, in our women’s groups and through our mission models.

As we walk together on this journey, we should consider those we walk with. If we walk too fast, we must slow down and wait for them. If we’re too slow, we should catch up to their pace of ministry. 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.

Susan Harris is past president of the North Carolina Synodical Women’s Organization and a member of Salem Lutheran Church, Lincolnton, N.C. Check out Women of the ELCA’s Raising Up Healthy Women and Girls special initiative for healthy living ideas.

Photo by Jim Veneman of Susan Harris, left, walking in the Run, Walk and Roll in Minneapolis at the Tenth Triennial Gathering, July 15, 2017.