Read
…and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
Ephesians 6:15
Reflect
There have been a lot of intrepid and bold explorers and travelers who have captured the imaginations of countless people over the years. Marco Polo. Christopher Columbus. James Cook. Roald Amundsen. Dave Kunst.
Wait, Dave who?
OK, so Dave Kunst might not belong on that list, but he is the first person to travel around the Earth on foot. OK, so not completely on foot. You can’t walk on the oceans. But between June 20, 1970, and October 5, 1974, Dave completed and ended a journey that started and ended in his hometown of Waseca, Minn., and took him across the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia and back to the United States. Along the way, he raised money for UNICEF along the 14,500 miles he traveled, partly with one brother, John, and then another brother, Peter. (John was murdered by bandits in Afghanistan. Peter had problems with his health and had to discontinue the journey.) In Australia, Dave was assisted by a young school teacher named Jenni — and he ended up marrying her after the journey.
To make a trip like that, you must have the right equipment, and Dave did have some interesting gear. For much of the trip, he had a mule that carried supplies like food, water and clothing. Later, he obtained a wagon, and the mule pulled this across much of Asia. (Jenni and her car pulled it across Australia.) And then there were the shoes. Over the thousands of miles, Dave burned through 21 pairs of shoes. That’s probably the most important piece of equipment he used, because without durable and comfortable shoes, you aren’t going to make it 100 miles, let alone more than 14,000.
On our Christian journey, we’re told by Paul that we will need some very specific equipment to help us on our way. In Ephesians 6, Paul talks of the “armor of God,” and we often talk about the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation. But the piece that I think most often gets overlooked is the shoes. Paul says that these shoes are from “the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” But what exactly is that?
Most of us get that the Gospel is the message of Christ, and we know that His message brings peace into the lives of those who accept it. But what about preparation? The image in this verse shows us that we must be prepared to carry that message wherever it needs to be told, and wherever the Lord leads us to tell it. Just as Dave Kunst’s shoe carried him around the globe, our Gospel shoes might do the same thing — or it might carry us down the street or across town. But we need to make sure that we are prepared to go wherever the Lord leads us so that we can do whatever He is calling us to do.
Today, I encourage you to read Ephesians 6 and to put on the Lord’s full armor so that you will be fitted for His service. But while you’re arming yourself with His belt, shield, breastplate, helmet and sword, don’t forget the shoes. Without those, you won’t get very far, but with them, you can spread God’s message of love to the entire world.
(To read more about Dave Kunst’s incredible journey, visit Ultra Running History or the Waseca County History Center.)
Reflection copyright © 2024 Doug DeBolt.
