"Finally, I suspect that it is by entering that deep place inside us where our secrets are kept that we come perhaps closer than we do anywhere else to the One who, whether we realize it or not, is of all our secrets the most telling and the most precious we have to tell." Frederick Buechner
Come in! Come in!
"If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a Hope-er, a Pray-er, a Magic Bean buyer; if you're a pretender, come sit by my fire. For we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!" -- Shel Silverstein
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Walking for Justice
Note: The following was written for Sunday's edition of "Issues," a publication of The Consultation. (Click on "Issues")
In New Delhi, there is a fitting memorial to Gandhi – the man who walked all over India for justice. It marks the path of his last steps, before he was assassinated.
Just for a giggle, I brought Ms. Conroy’s pedometer to Anaheim. It’s not a ‘professional’ one. It’s just something she picked up a while back when she was trying to get into shape.
I know that General Convention requires a great deal of walking – I’ve been attending these things for a number of years and my tired body remembered instantly – but I was curious to know just how much walking I do.
So, I put on the pedometer and here’s what I found.
Keep in mind that, for a person my size, 2, 000 steps equals approximately one mile.
Monday: 9,644 steps.
Tuesday: 21,157 steps
Wednesday: 31,104 steps
Thursday: 32, 064 steps
Friday – stopped wearing it. I don’t want to know anymore.
I suspect Gandhi never counted his steps. He just kept walking. He walked all over India – an area much larger than all the General Conventions I’ve ever attended.
Still, he kept walking for justice.
Jesus walked all over Israel – back and forth, going to where the people were. Being with the people who needed to hear the Good News. Teaching. Telling stories. Bringing healing and hope. Confronting the powers and principalities in the name of justice and peace, and never counting the cost – much less the steps.
It’s humbling to remember that as I schlep back and forth and forth and back from hotel to convention center and from the HOD to the HOB to various hearings and committee meetings.
It’s also not a bad thing to remember that for every 2,000 steps I take, I burn 100 calories.
Who would have guessed that walking for justice can also be good for your body?
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2 comments:
"Keep on walking forward...
keep on walking forward.
Never turning back...never turning back."
Thank you, Elizabeth for your tireless walk for justice. It's appreciated more than you can know.
Hmmm...first to comment - that has
NEVER happened.
I'm glad it did. Good to hear from you, Riley.
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