Barefoot running and missions: being with people and learning their ways

I’ve noticed lately that several marathon experts are blogging about the return of barefoot running. Many are seeing the benefits of taking off their fancy shoes and letting their bare feet feel the road. My first thought was “Ouch! Wouldn’t that hurt?” Apparently not as much as you might think. In fact some say that because of the bare foot’s unhindered contact with the road we naturally adjust our steps and posture to avoid pain and actually improve the effect running has on our whole body: feet, knees, hips and back.

When the prophet Isaiah spoke of the messenger’s “beautiful feet”, and the apostle Paul encouraged Christians to have “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace”, they were not thinking of well fitted sandals. They were talking about ordinary, dusty rugged feet ready for action and service. Evangelism, social action, mission activity of all kinds requires that some of the followers of Jesus physically relocate to be among the needy.

Beyond “being there”, this barefoot discussion reminds me that we can so easily clothe our expressions of the good news in all sorts of fancy padding, but the best message is the one that comes from a sensitive messenger, one who is in touch with the social terrain. So how do we “go barefoot”? As the eyes of the barefoot runner constantly scan the road in front and tread carefully, the evangelist needs to observe and learn as much as possible about their communities, experiencing and sensing the peoplescape in order to communicate the good news according to the situation.