Those Shoes were Made for Walking

Last month, I walked to Kelbrook to settle a small debt with my chimney sweep. I wore my favourite shoes- a pair of trainers I purchased in 2005. They are no stranger to this blog; despite their holes, they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I possess. Until that Saturday, that is. 

I’ve worn them as I traipsed around Israel, Cuba, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Italy and India. Whenever I went away, I packed my trusty training shoes. Yet as I approached the environs of Kelbrook, just 2-3 miles from my home, my left sole became sore and the shoe began to rub. By the time I returned home, I had a subtle limp. I felt let down, but reflected that the forty pounds I’d paid for them 13 years ago still offers fair value for money.

To the Ephesians, Paul writes

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

I’ve heard many a sermon on helmets and breastplates but few on the soldiers' footwear. We live in times in which gospel boots have begun to rub and make us uncomfortable. The paths upon which such shoes take us seem steeper and rougher now than they were ten or twenty years ago. Indeed, some of us go about limping. The gospel message is sometimes unwelcome and its delivery painful, but you and I are called to go and be be faithful, not stay and be comfortable.