God Walk by Mark Buchanan

I'm an avid walker and was very interested in what Buchanan had to say about walking. I was intrigued by his comments on religions and physical disciplines. So many religions have such a discipline associated with it (yoga, tai chi, karate, etc.). But what about Christianity? Buchanan suggests walking. He notes that God walked in the garden, Enoch and Noah walked with God, Micah 6:8 instructs us to walk humbly with our God. Buchanan suggests walking as symbolic of knowing God.

In general, this book is a memoir. Buchanan shares his insights from his own walking experiences, from Bible passages, from books he's read and movies he's seen.

A favorite part of this book was when Buchanan realized that, rather than walking with God, he was studying maps (theology, doctrine, etc.). He could talk maps with others and debate maps. But he found he was walking less and less with God. (Loc. 318/2398)

Another favorite story was when his under driving age son did serious damage to their van. His wife suggested he go for a walk rather than explode at his son. He did. His mind cleared. His heart softened. God started to speak to him and he gained great insight into his own character. (Loc 1769/2398) That gave new meaning to the advice, take a walk.

This is a good book for Christians who want to explore the concept of walking and what it can mean to spiritual life and formation. You'll be encouraged to slow down, observe, greet others, pray, and more.

You can read a sample here. You can watch the book trailer here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Mark Buchanan is a professor and award-winning author. His books include Your God is Too Safe, The Rest of God, and Spiritual Rhythm. He and his wife life in Cochrane, Alberta.

Zondervan, 256 pages

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)