Have You Heard of ‘Silent Walking?'”

There is apparently a new trend on TikTok (one of the popular social media apps of our day) called “silent walking.” The trend goes that a person just gets outside and takes a walk with no phone, no earbuds, no electronic distractions of any kind and just walks, listening to nature and being silent. Incredible! Revolutionary! Why didn’t anyone else ever think of such a thing? Just walking… The roots of this claim Buddhist philosophy, but respectfully, it is from the wisdom of the God who made all of us.

In a busy, fast-paced, demanding world like ours, is it any wonder that many people long for and desire quietness? I appreciate that our God at the very beginning enjoyed, “silent walking” (Genesis 3:8). In fact, our God will not easily be found in the noise and busyness of life, but rather invites us to find Him in silence and solitude (Ps. 46:10). If you are bold enough to try this radical approach to silent walking, here are some thoughts to keep the God who made us at the center of our minds, hearts, and bodies:

As you walk, thank God for the things you see (1 Thess. 5:17- 18). Meditation often looks at God’s blessings carefully from all sides and render back to God the praise that He is due (Phil. 4:8). “Thank You God for this tree, its strong roots, its life-giving system, its natural beauty, its shade, its uniqueness. God, Your wisdom is matchless.” Do the same with the grass, dirt, ants, wasps and birds and other things you see! “Consider the lilies of the field…”

As you walk, thank God for making you what you are (Psalm 139). One man observed that “we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, rather, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” As we deeply consider nature, having a body to breathe the air, legs to move us, a mind to control us, a stomach to fuel us, we will truly come away with praise of God, “for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14).

As you walk, thank God that He is always in control (Dan. 4:17). He is the God who loves us, works on our behalf, and will not leave us no matter how things change. He is the God who always walks with us (Matt. 28:20). What a thought as we walk with Him!