Three Miles an Hour

It stands out to me when I hear the same idea explained in multiple books I'm reading, especially when they are read back to back and especially when the idea isn't the book's main point. For example, I recently finished Jefferson Bethke's book, To Hell With the Hustle (see: Amazon link), and Andy Crouch's book, The Life We're Looking For (see: Amazon link), in which both authors referred to the walking speed of three miles an hour. 

Bethke notes, "Three miles per hour is the average speed of someone walking purposefully yet gracefully. And for some reason I see Jesus walking that speed as well." Crouch writes, "The Japanese theologian Kosuke Koyama provocatively called three miles an hour 'the speed of God' since it was the speed at which Jesus of Nazareth moved for almost his entire life." 

The speed of God?

Reading these two books in proximity got me reflecting on three miles an hour. I realized that three miles an hour is the recommended treadmill speed in my class at the gym after we come off a sprint. It's a walking speed that allows you to catch your breath while also covering distance. I'm emotionally (and physically) grateful when I get to hit the button for my walking speed on the treadmill.

The speed of God is evidently not fast.

Most of my life has NOT been spent walking at three miles an hour. There were demands of full-time ministry, raising five kids, and juggling a marriage between two entrepreneurs. And I certainly walk faster than three miles an hour in an airport. Yet we've paired much of our schedule down the last few years and have dramatically slowed our 'walking speed.' It's allowed for more interruptions. I continue to learn how much of life is filled with interruptions if you allow space for them. As Kosuke Koyama pointed out, three miles an hour was a speed that allowed Jesus to be interrupted by the people around Him.

We've had interruptions of our own. In fact, as I write this, we are going through the most difficult season yet with one of our kids as we seek ways to help them through new challenges. It's been brutally difficult to navigate. If it weren't for our current speed of life, we would have had to disrupt our lives even more dramatically. 

We're also available for the interruptions in the lives of those around us too. This week I spent an evening with a friend walking through pain in his life. I was so grateful to have the time to be with him as others were there for me in my journey through seasons of pain.

I've written previously about how slowing down helps you focus on things that matter most to you (see: 5 Ways to Spend Your Time on What Matters Most). In my experience, three miles an hour is not a pace you naturally settle into. It takes work and intentional decisions. It requires saying 'no' to a lot of good things. But it is a speed at which we allow ourselves to live more fully present to the ebbs and flows of each day and each moment. 

How fast are you walking?

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Photo by Arek Adeoye on Unsplash