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Walking in Faith
For we walk by faith, not by sight
– 2 Corinthians 5:7, NRSV
One of my spiritual practices is walking. I have been on pilgrimage a few times, but even walking through a park, or my neighborhood, or hiking on a trail in the mountains nourishes my soul. There is something about the rhythm of the walk, the fresh air, the landscape that speaks to me in a way that few other things do—it is undoubtedly a “means of grace” for me, a way for God to speak to me and reach me that abounds in God’s care and love. If I walk long enough, or far enough, I often catch myself whispering a breath-prayer as I step, subconsciously repeating a petition to God (and listening expectantly for a response).
It has been said that Saint Augustine coined the phrase, solvitur ambulando: “It is solved by walking.” I have found that a number of difficult, vexing, or troublesome situations have been helped by the practice of me just “walking it out.” The Spirit seems to move in my life when I myself move, if only at the pace of a gentle stroll.
McCurdy Ministries has been on pilgrimage—walking with God—for well over a century now. In some seasons, we have been walking familiar, well-worn paths. In others, we have found ourselves on uncertain tracks. At all times, however, we have not once walked alone. God has been with us.
In this current, exciting season of rebirth, renewal, and growth at McCurdy, it is not always easy to see clearly the road ahead. Even as we develop new strategic plans and dream big dreams about the revitalization and reanimation of our beloved campus, our buildings, and our programs, it feels at times as if we can just barely make out the next few steps in front of us. The faithful response is to keep walking, to find that path that meets us as we step forward.
The next step is just that—the next step—and we trust that as we walk by faith (if not by sight), God will continue to be with us on the journey. God’s Spirit will move and grace us with strength and courage as well as vision for what lies ahead. The Japanese theologian Kosuke Koyama reminds us that God moves at about three miles per hour—the pace of normal human walking (see Koyama’s Three Mile an Hour God). God’s Spirit keeps pace with us, with our needs, with our movement, so we never need worry about keeping up with God or falling too far behind. God’s grace keeps up with us, no matter what, no matter where we find ourselves, no matter where we might be heading.
In my own life, I have found great comfort and great promise in this knowledge and this assurance. Here at McCurdy, it gives me great, great hope for our future as God walks with us in this season of change and promise.
May you sense God walking alongside you wherever you find yourself this day and all your days.
Randall W. Partin
Director of Finance and Operations
McCurdy Ministries
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