Spiritual Journey

Jesus Walked

“Jesus walked a lot, and not only during the last week of his life. The four gospels are peppered with accounts of him walking into the countryside, walking by the Sea of Galilee, walking in the temple, and even walking on water...This gave him time to see things, like the milky eyes of the beggar sitting by the side of the road, or the round black eyes of sparrows sitting in their cages at the market.”

Barbara Brown Taylor (An Altar in the World, p.65)

There is a chapter in An Altar in the World titled, “The Practice of Walking on the Earth.” Humans have a long history taking spiritual journeys on foot. Besides Jesus' walking ministry, there are pilgrimages of Muslims to Mecca, and Buddhist journeys to Bodh Gaya in India or Mount Kailash in Tibet, the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem. There is a the famous spiritual walk called Camino de Santiago from Portugal to Spain that draws thousands of people every year. Walking can be, and often is, a meditative act. I prefer to walk out in a natural setting, but even on a city street, if you are able to do it without the distraction of headphones, walking puts you solidly into your body with your feet on the earth. You can pay attention to what is around you, listen to the birds singing, and feel the breeze on you skin. Spending the time it takes to walk a mile or so, and ground yourself in nature, sets the pace for the rest of the day.

Barbara Brown Taylor suggests that you do not expect God to speak to you while you are walking in a meditative state. “Just give your full attention to where you are, for once.” We are frequently distracted—speaking for myself, of course. It is rare for us to simply be where we are, and pay attention to what is there with us. Most of the time our body is in one place and our head is somewhere else, and of course, our phones are ever present. This split is responsible for many accidents. Taking just fifteen minutes a day to pull it all together in one place is like a mini-vacation. I know that sounds overly simple, but try it for a week and you'll notice a difference in how you feel. There is a solid body of research now that shows exposure to negative ions in the natural environment calms stress, elevates mood and reduces anger and anxiety. Walking beside a water source is excellent for this—most especially, moving water, such as rivers, waterfalls, and the ocean--even fountains and water features. Early morning walks on the beach in the salt-air are best of all.

Who knows, maybe Jesus was such a placid and healing guy because he was full of negative ions he picked up by the Sea of Galilee! You can ask him while you walk out in nature today. And leave your phone in you back pocket—or better still, at home.

                                                             In the Spirit,

                                                                Jane