The spirituality of walking
Walking is more than just the basic way of getting from A to B; it’s also a profound way to reconnect spiritually with God’s creation, says Rev’d Jane
People from the Good Shepherd community have been doing a lot of walking in recent months. There was Dave Worrall’s inspirational fundraising walk, for which he completed 33 walks around the parish boundary, walking over 300 miles.
A group from the church joined Dave on his final day for Rogationtide, walking ten miles together, praying for the parish as we went. Rogation is a practice that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times, to ask for God’s blessing on the land. It was a glorious spring day, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves as we ‘beat the bounds’, the old term for marking the parish boundaries. There is something about walking that nurtures gentle conversation and the building up of fellowship.
Then there’s Glen and David Edey, members of the congregation who are walking St Hilda’s Way in North Yorkshire as a fundraiser for Christian Aid. This is a 40-mile coastal route inspired by the 7th century Saint Hilda.
Yet more walking is taking place amongst some of the 8am Sunday service regulars. Led by Dominic Elton, they are walking The Old Way, a pilgrimage route from Southampton to Canterbury Cathedral. It’s a 240-mile route, based on a lost pilgrim path, found on the 1360 Gough Map known as Britain’s oldest road map. They are walking the route in stages and are finding the journey to be a magical way to encounter the landscape, local churches, and holy sites.
Walking can be a most ordinary activity. It’s our oldest mode of transport. Those of us fortunate to be able bodied are likely to do some walking every day, even if it’s only to the local shop. But as we have seen from the walks recently undertaken by church members, it can also be intentional, and rich in meaning.
Spiritual Walking
The benefits of walking are more than just physical. It enables us to engage deeply with the natural world and gives us time to reflect. There has been a growth in interest recently in what we might call ‘spiritual walking’. The Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher has written a book on the subject, and says, ‘Walking helps me to pray and leads me to encounter God: it’s as if I have a companion at my side, or up in front, leading me on, or whispering from behind, encouraging me to take the step I dare not, but need to take.’ (The Way Under our Feet, SPCK).
Jesus and his disciples did a lot of walking. You will find estimates on the internet that suggest he walked 3,125 miles during his public ministry, mainly in the regions of Galilee and Judea. It’s impossible to know whether this is accurate, but it’s clear from scripture that he walked great distances, perhaps 20 miles a day, and these walks were instrumental in spreading his teachings and bringing about God’s kingdom here on earth.
Of course, not everyone is physically able to walk. We are fortunate to have the boardwalk on Shoreham Beach, which enables disabled people to also enjoy the delights of outdoor encounters, and in the words of the nature writer Robert Macfarlane, “enlarge the imagined range for self to move in.” (The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot, Penguin).
So, I hope that this spirit of intentional walking will continue at the Good Shepherd, wondrous wanders that reveal beautiful worlds, both inner and outer.
