Walking With Purpose
Writen by: Michael S. Johnson
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:26-27).
A young man named Gordon Wayne had just graduated from a local community college with his associate degree. It was during the height of COVID in 2020. He had been accepted into Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Gordon had been homeless for the last 14 months of junior college, living out of his car. After getting accepted into Boston College, he decided to walk from his home in central Virginia to Chestnut Hill, which was 550 miles, for his first day on campus.
He recorded his journey on Instagram and gained thousands of followers. He also started a GoFundMe page to raise money for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. As Gordon walked the final stretch onto the campus of Boston College, news reporters and crowds of people lined the street. Gordon said in an interview that his walk was not about him. He wanted to bring attention to the issue of homelessness and give people a chance at life. Gordon used his walk to bring attention to something greater than himself.
Before Gordon, John the Baptist had done something similar. John the Baptist wasn’t homeless, but he grew up in the wilderness (Luke 1:80), which could not have been an easy life. A prophecy spoken about John to his parents stated that John was going to be a great preacher one day with the ability to impact many people.
When John began his preaching ministry, he drew a great many people from all over Judea and Jerusalem who left the city to hear him preach in the wilderness, confess their sins and be baptized by him. John had amassed so many followers that one day the Jewish leaders sent people to investigate and find out who he was. They wanted to know if he was the Messiah, Elijah or the Prophet, to which John said “no.”
They asked him one more time, “Who are you?” Quoting from the prophet Isaiah, he said, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, make straight the way for the Lord” (John 1:23). Another group of people who had been sent to investigate asked him, “If you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet,” why are you baptizing? John then said, “I baptize with water but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
You see, this is what John the Baptist and Gordon have in common. John used his walk of life to point to something greater than himself — to one who could give eternal life.
Like Gordon and John, we can use our walk of life to point people to a greater source of life. Throughout our lives, we may have the opportunity to draw people who take interest in what we have the ability to do. We might not be a preacher like John or have great endurance to walk for miles like the college student. Maybe, however, we can sing, dance, write, act, play sports, lead, create, build wealth, give great advice, help, cook, teach, think intellectually or use any number of other talents.
When the time comes, will we walk with purpose? Will we use our talents and skills to point to something or someone greater than ourselves?
