Foundational Shoes

By: The Rev. Brenda Sol

Last weekend, on my way back from visiting my nieces in Kansas City, I was walking

through the airport, feeling very annoyed that my little toe was being jammed up against my

other toes. Part of the problem is that I love shoes made by Vionic, but I’m in-between sizes.

And, no matter the style, in order to take advantage of the great arch support Vionics give me,

the shoes are teensy bit too short.

Plus, I had just spent three nights sleeping on a mattress on a floor, so my back was a little

tweaked, and I’d been wearing flip-flops most of the weekend, traipsing in and out of the house

from the pool, which meant my knee was also feeling achy. So, later as I was walking with a

crunched toe down the long terminals in Salt Lake City, I started thinking about how important

solid shoes are.

That’s been on my mind a lot lately, because I had also been planning to walk part of the

Portuguese Way of the Camino in October (I’ve since postponed that trip until next May, during

my upcoming sabbatical. All that to say, I’m keenly aware that in order to walk all day long, for

several days in a row, I’ll need shoes that support me, and don’t crunch my toes!)

So when I read the passage from Ephesians for today, I resonated with the author’s use of

shoes as a metaphor to preparing oneself for the path of discipleship. Most likely written by a

disciple of the Apostle Paul, the author warns the Ephesians about the spiritual forces of evil

they’ll have to overcome, and how they need to be able to “stand firm” in their faith. The

author writes: “As shoes for your feet, put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the

gospel of peace.”

That preparation, we learn, is in addition to relying on the “strength of God’s power” and

putting on the “armor of God”. The author uses the shoe metaphor, because almost everyone

can understand it—that standing firm, requires wearing good, solid shoes. Part of the

preparation—whether walking the Camino, or being a faithful disciple will be about building up

our endurance, because discipleship is not a sprint—it’s not even a marathon—it’s a life-long

journey.

And yet, endurance alone is not enough. We have to be able to stand on solid footing,

because, as Rev. Christina mentioned in her sermon last week, answering God’s call often takes

us to places that require our full reliance on God, and our courage to venture out into the

unknown.

Additionally, like so many other messages passed along by Jesus and his early followers,

this verse from Ephesians gives us the “so that”. In this case, wear solid shoes, so that we are

“ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.” Just one more reminder that our personal paths of

discipleship aren’t simply for our own well-being, or limited to achieving our own salvation.

Rather, we learn, grow, and remain open to transformation, so that we are able to share the

good news of God’s love, mercy and peace with others.

This idea that God’s love ought to be shared with everyone is reiterated in our reading

from 1 st Kings. As Solomon offers a prayer at the dedication of the temple, he adds that the

temple was created for the purpose of being a place in which “all the peoples of the earth may

know your [God’s] name.”

As I researched a bit about the history of this event, I learned that Solomon was harkening

back to how great his Father David was. And, how David wasn’t able to get the sacred ark into a

temple. During David’s time, the ark was housed in a tent. But now, Solomon has had a temple

built, and he’s dedicating it with this public prayer.

Interesting to me, was that some scholars point out Solomon’s humanness in this prayer,

and how it’s both a self-serving claim to greatness on his part, as well as a proclamation of an

expansive sense of inclusivity. He does this by speaking of those who haven’t yet joined them.

Referring to them as foreigners, he continues, “Grant their prayers, too.”

Solomon’s words include some wonderful theology that adds to that congregation’s—and

ours—a solid foundation about the limitlessness of God. As Solomon prays to God: “Even

heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you,” he’s essentially asking the people: “Who

are we to think we can contain God in an ark, or even in a temple?” As he does so, he implies

that God right here with us—wherever we are—not just in some remote place in the sky.

At the same time, the dedication reminds the gathered that the temple should be a place

of prayer, worship and fellowship—the very components that help build solid foundations for

the soles of our spiritual shoes. In our context, as Deacon Pete pointed out a few weeks ago, we

also receive spiritual nourishment in receiving communion. That notion is referenced again in

this morning’s Gospel reading. Communion is the type of nourishment doesn’t just refresh us, it

adds to our solid foundation.

Another reason I like the shoe metaphor, is that different activities require different

shoes, and different body-types are better benefited by different shoes. That’s important to

remember, because your mind-body-spirit might be better supported by Contemplative Prayer,

while another person is better supported by walking mediation.

If God is calling you to be a loving presence, a good foundation might be learning to be a

better listener. And if the Holy Spirit is nudging you to be more of an activist, learning more

about how Jesus took on the establishment will help solidify your commitment. As it says in

Ephesians, “Put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace.”

We can consciously strengthen our spiritual shoes through countless ways. Through:

prayer—whether it be prayers of thanksgiving, intercessory prayers, or prayerful requests; by

studying sacred texts, meditating, doing breath work, exercising, or taking the beauty of God’s

creation by being out in nature. Then remembering, that we do all this so that we can share the

love, mercy and peace of God with the world around us.

—AMEN