"You Walk Like an Old Farmer"

Maybe it was the stooped shoulders. I’m sure the two bad knees and the bum hip were contributing factors. An earlier back surgery could be taken into consideration. In any case, a friend of mine watched me walk across a field toward him and commented, “You walk like an old farmer.” Laughing, I immediately responded, “I am an old farmer.”

You can tell a good bit about a person by the way they walk. The personality, especially of their youth, often shows in that walk. Injuries and illnesses are often imprinted on each step. Fear, boldness, shyness, and even anger permeate the stride.

Our walk, however, is more than the placement of our feet one before the other. It is a word that denotes our character, the manner in which we address life. I would hope that someone would say to me, “You walk like an old Christian.” I would love to be able to respond, “I am an old Christian.”

In the last Upon Reflection, I noted that it is a time to speak, to address those concerns that we are facing in our society. In the Studies I wrote about how we as Christians have too often become accustomed to the darkness and that we must finally speak out. It is also a time to walk. Because of the number of comments I received from the last Web site update, the Studies this time will address how we should not only talk the talk but how we can walk the walk.

Please read “It’s Time to Walk the Walk” in the Archives.