Power Walking

No weighted vest required!

I ran half-marathons in my thirties. For some of you this statement is no big deal. Plenty of people run 5Ks, half-marathons, and even full-blown marathons into their forties, fifties, and sixties. I know some of you crazy people have set ridiculous goals for yourself, like running a marathon in every state.

Good for you.

But running half-marathons in my thirties was a really big deal for me, considering I seriously damaged my knees from years of childhood gymnastics. In my twenties, I never imagined I’d be able to run at all. But I trained well (with the help of smart running people), and I enjoyed a few years of racing.

But I’m in my forties now, and my knees have caught up with me. So, now I’m proud to say I’m a Power Walker!

My group of exercise friends (Shout out to the Little Debbies—we run for Snack Cakes!) walk/jog/stumble together in the early morning hours every week. We move. Mostly. When all of us manage to get out of the bed.

Over the years, the sheer number of walking trails and new shoes I’ve purchased has advanced my understanding of the Bible’s use of the metaphor of walking.

A New (Testament) Thing?

Both the Old and New Testament use the metaphor of walking. In the Old Testament, the term “walk” is ha.lakh which means to go, live, and manner of life.

It’s used to describe Noah, highlighting his faithfulness living before God.

These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God.

-Genesis 6:9

When Scripture turns to the introduction of the law, the word “walk” is used to convey covenant obedience shaped by God’s revealed will:

You shall walk in all the way that the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

-Deuteronomy 5:33

Likewise, the Bible also shows us that it’s possible to “walk” in one’s own ways:

All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;

-Isaiah 53:6a

So, by the time we reach the New Testament, post-resurrection of Jesus, the letters written by the apostles play heavy on the metaphor of walking to encourage Christ-followers.

For the next few weeks, we’ll study the writings of the apostles Paul and John, looking closely at their obsession with the metaphor of walking. In the New Testament, the Greek word for “walk” is peripateo, meaning to live or conduct one’s life.

For Paul and John, walking was connected to living with Christ in faith, allowing the Holy Spirit to direct decisions, loving others, telling the truth, obedience, and wisdom. Each one of these exhortations were written to believers like you and me, living their lives in a broken world. Perhaps we’ll see that the metaphor for walking grants us a powerful image that can still encourage us today.

What comes to mind when you think of walking? What spiritual implications do you find in this metaphor?