Editorial: To Walk with God

Enoch walked faithfully with God. Enoch lived a total of 365 years. . .and walked faithfully with God;

– Genesis 5:22-24, NIV

Enoch is one of those people many may not know very well. In fact, we have little information about Enoch, but we do know at least one important thing: Enoch walked faithfully with God.

Walking is a core part of the human experience. It is practical and also a powerful metaphor for the forward movement of our lives. In fact, when we talk about the story of our life, we normally describe it as journey. A long walk.

Walking with someone else takes the basic function of walking to another level.

When we ask someone to go for a walk with us, it means something, often something special. We are not just just meeting up – we are linking our ability to move about freely to another being. We are going to be moving together, over the same ground, following the same path. Throughout the Bible, we can find some of the most engaging stories describing the meaningful moments in which God walks with humans.

If I imagine myself walking with God, I visualize a child holding on to a strong and steady finger – like my own children did with me. When I visualize Enoch walking with God, I see two persons who know and trust and respect one another sharing the same pathway, seeking the same goal and destination, moving in tandem with each other, lockstep across every threshold, through every experience, in every moment.

I want to walk with God like Enoch did. I want to be in God’s presence all of the time – and I want that to influence the paths I take through my own life. I want it to influence the interactions I have with other people.

I want to see the world like God sees the world, and to know that I am holding on to the hand of love and compassion. And this week, I encourage you to do the same.

“Enoch walked faithfully with God” is what the story records. It turns out that it’s not so much a statement as an invitation.

Terry Forde is President & CEO Adventist HealthCare