walking

There is this image in Genesis that I’ve never really been sure what to do with: Adam and God walking together in the garden.

Just a man and his creator, working their way through the day together. And it seems like this image has transferred through time to become a driving metaphor for our faith today – to have a walk with God.

Walks are boring to me.

Walks require slowing down the pace of things for me. And I don’t often do that.

Walks require enjoying the journey and not just the destination.

Walks give time to talk about what’s right in front – the present moment. And my mind is rarely in the moment.

Walks will tell you a lot about who you’re walking with if you let them take the lead.

But walks aren’t on my top 10 amazing things to do on a Friday night list.

And honestly, neither is prayer.

Which is why I think prayer is where we find ourselves deepest in this metaphor – walking with God.

When we pray, we have to slow down the pace of things long enough to have a conversation with God.

When we pray, we realize that life isn’t just about the destination, but that God is shaping us through the journey.

When we pray, we get to talk to God about what we’re going through – in the present moment. And much of life in America is designed to numb ourselves from thinking too much about the present moment. It’s just easier to self-medicate with TV, escape with the next project, drown the moment with the internet.

When we pray, we let God take the lead and sometimes we learn things about him that challenge us deeply and call us to change profoundly.

So “going on a walk” may never be the most compelling faith metaphor for me. But what I find when I take the time to walk with God is so deeply profound, challenging, disturbing, encouraging and moving, that I find myself wanting to live life differently and dive into a prayer experience with God that could only be described as… well, walking with him.