Meditation: Walking with Jesus

by Brian Crisp
from Weekend Connections, an e-newsletter from Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC USA

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Most people look a bit shocked when I mention prayer as a daily practice. “You pray?” always seems to be the follow up to my confession as if prayer were reserved for people with more piety than I appear to possess. I consistently tell people that most of my praying is done on the treadmill between the hours of 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. With the health facilities closed, I have adjusted my prayers to meandering walks through the city where streets become a labyrinth unfolding around my feet.

The following walking meditation is divided into sections correlated with each of the senses and punctuated by prayer. The pace and distance of the walk is negotiable. You may want to print out the reflection or have it to reference on your Smart Phone. Allow your walk, if you can, to be spontaneous and unfold at its own pace. 

Introduction

Start your walk simply by standing still and taking a few deep breaths. You may want to pause for a moment of gratitude naming the people and moments that have brought you comfort and respite over the past week. Now, stand for a moment of silence, breathing deeply and engaging your body. When you feel settled, start walking. 

Sight

As you walk, begin to notice the world around you. Take a moment to see, as the poet e.e. Cummings noted:

the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

Take a moment to see the newly sprouted flowers and tree buds. Look in all directions, noticing the large moments of the horizon on the landscape and the minuscule points made by ladybugs and honeybees.  Breathe in deeply and appreciate the splendor of nature. Offer a short moment of thanksgiving for her beauty and a moment of care for her healing. Finish the visual meditation by using the following portion of the Psalm as a mantra:

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my balm;
My comfort comes from all that is holy in heaven and on earth.

Feel

Over the next few minutes begin to notice how your body feels.  Walk until you feel you should stop. Feel the breeze of the wind and the warmth of the sun. Feel the ground on which your feet are planted. Study what is at your feet. Pick up a small stone, twig or leaf  and begin to roll it in your hand, caressing. Begin to walk again and concentrate on each step and the subtle differences in the terrain. Even when it’s irregular, notice how the ground is solid and reliable.

Remind yourself that you are supported by a community that is reliable and sturdy. Finish this part of the meditation with the following as a mantra:

The sacred will not let your foot slip; The sacred that keeps you will not falter.
The sacred that keeps the world, will neither falter nor fail. 

Sound

As you begin to walk again, concentrate on what you hear.  Notice the buzz of insects and the calls of the birds. Acknowledge the chatter of neighbors in their yards and the humming motors of passing cars. Take a moment to hear your innermost thoughts.  

As before, walk until you feel it is time to stop. In this pause, remind yourself that the holy is found in the symphonies of sound around you. Finish this part of the meditation with the following mantra:

The divine is your protector, the shade near your right hand.
The sun will not harm you in the day, nor the moon in the night.

Taste and Smell

Taste and smell are intricately connected in our bodies. Open your mouth and touch your tongue to the back of your teeth. Then, as your mouth closes, begin to breathe through your mouth and nose, allowing each fragrance to evoke a taste.  Smell the grass and flowers taking in each note of the fragrance. Thinking about the aroma of your favorite foods. Let it fill your nostrils and let your mouth water thinking of this culinary treat.

Remind yourself that our desires are wonderfully human, and finish this part of the meditation with the following mantra:

That which is good is not evil; Goodness will enhance your life.
Goodness should be in your going and your coming on this day and those to come.

Closing

As you conclude your walk, notice all of your senses and how they have been engaged in this meditation. Stand in silence for a few moments. At the end of your silence, read the complete e.e. cummings poem:

i thank You God for most this amazing
day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes
(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday; this is the birth
day of life and love and wings and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)
how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any-lifted from the no
of all nothing-human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

If you have a few extra minutes when you get home, write your observations of your senses that manifested during your walking meditation. Finish the writing with a simple prayer or the quoting of the last line of the poem:

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Amen.

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Solo en ingles.

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