I think I know why Jesus walked...

Forget cultural or historical reasonings, I'm being strictly philosophical here. There's something intimate about walking with a person. It's not like going to the movies or even going to dinner. Movies and restaurants offer distractions that allow people to be together without really being together. You can sit at the same table and still be miles apart. Your conversation could extend no further than comments on food, beverages and dessert.

But walking... walking invites conversation. It invites the heart and mind to slow down and enjoy a person's company. The best conversations I've ever had have been while I'm walking with someone. In part, it's because I think better when I'm moving. Physical activity - even something as mild as walking - helps me process. But mostly because walking, by it's very nature, allows for real, unhurried communication.

A dinner can be cut short. If things aren't going well, you can quickly eat and leave. But when you walk with someone, you're committed until you reach your destination. It's uninterrupted time together; and I like that. It gives us opportunities to truly hear each other, and to be truly heard.

I sometimes wonder why Jesus was born when he was; he could have come at any time. But I think there were things about that culture that set the tone - that He used to set an example - for what our relationships should look like today. I think walking is part of that example. It's a statement about the intimacy we should seek, the genuine attention we should give, and the benefits of slowing down enough to get to know one another.