Walking

After years of traveling, Hartsfield- Jackson Airport in Atlanta is like my second home. I have flown on hundreds of flights and the boarding process is always the same: Walk down the jetway, step onto the plane, find a seat, wait for the plane to be towed away from the gate, and take off. Usually this process runs smoothly and I don’t give it much thought. But today, the jetway was mistakenly removed minutes before boarding. Once it returned, the tow car then took a leisurely 20 minutes to come pull the plane onto the runway for take off.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

- Luke 10:33-35

As I sat on the plane watching for the tow car, I thought about my trip through the airport. I walked the same route I always walk through Atlanta: through the terminal, down the escalators, along the moving sidewalk, up the escalators, to the gate, down the jetway, onto the plane, and into the air. The delays of the jetway and tow car didn’t change the steps I would take, they only changed the pace at which I took them.

WALKING

In the story of the good Samaritan,  Jesus tells the story of a Samaritan who encounters an injured man along the road. The Samaritan was likely a frequent traveler along this road. He knew the road well enough to notice the man was out of place. He knew the innkeeper at his destination well enough to trust him to care for the sick man.  

CHANGING PACE

The Samaritan's route did not change. He simply stumbled upon something different this time, causing him to change his pace. Perhaps he saw others huddled in the distance as he walked up to the sick man, prompting him to look around and see if it was safe to walk ahead. Perhaps he tripped over a rock and stutter-stepped just long enough to catch a glimpse of the man in front of him.  Perhaps it was something different.  

Either way, the Samaritan walked forward and embraced the delay he saw in front of him. He listened to the story of another man and provided a helping hand.  

The Samaritan walked the the man to a safe place where he could rest and heal. His slowed pace and changed timeline didn’t change his path to his destination. But it was life-changing for the man on the side of the road. 

WALKING TOGETHER

We can be life-changing as we move through our days too. Just like , we will also all walk into our workplaces and communities. Our paths may take us through a grocery store or gas station, into our workplace or school, driving down down roads or walking up neighborhood hills. But we will all end up home. We can choose to walk quickly or we can chose to slow our pace to see who God has placed in front of us as we walk along our day to day paths on our way there.  

• Instead of running to grab another fast food meal from a drive through, invite a neighbor to pick their favorite place to dine with you

• Instead of rushing to your car in the grocery store parking lot, go to a family looking lost in our lot or struggling to carry their child and offer to return their cart after they load their car.

• Instead of quickly closing your garage doors, put down your keys and walk to a neighbor who might be coming home after a long day to an empty house.

• Instead of walking straight through hallways, take a moment to stop at a office door to share a kind word with a coworker.

All these and more are opportunities for us to slow our pace and have a life changing impact on another as we walk alongside them and listen to their story!