Most of the books I review on this website are major releases from the biggest publishers, but occasionally I like to share an Indie book I’ve enjoyed. I came across this author when I was promoting my book, Seeing God – For Who He Really Is, and it sounded interesting.
The authors are a Christian couple from the Midwest. Jane attended Oklahoma Baptist University and Rick has served in a variety of roles, from pastor to traveling evangelist. He’s most recently served as a professor at the College of the Cumberlands and continues to write and speak around the US.
And…So We Walked is the true, autobiographical story of their call and journey to travel from California to Washington D.C. on foot, walking across the country. A journey that would take them over 2770 miles, wearing out 20 pairs of shoes and taking six months to get there.
Rick and Jane’s passion for people and Jesus shines through in the pages of the book as every day was filled with encounters in which they were able to ask people the most important question in life, “Do you know Jesus?” Throughout the journey, they suffer many setbacks, some of which were as simple as logistical challenges, but more serious physical challenges as well.
The story is a testimony not only to God’s sustaining grace and power, but of the Body of Christ, as many stepped up to help in unexpected ways to make their journey possible. When Rick and Jane began their journey, they were about the same age as Deanna and I are now, and I couldn’t help but consider what it would be like for us to consider a similar endeavor. (Don’t worry, we have no intention of walking across Europe or the US)
The most telling part of their journey were the lives touched and the message they came away with, which was, to quote Rick’s speech from the end of their walk on the steps of the Supreme Court in DC, “We have come to understand that if we can help to change one life at a time, one step at a time, that we have a chance to change America.” What he’s talking about is the hundreds of face-to-face interactions with people during their journey. Sometimes, they were able to pray with people. Other times, it meant giving someone a Bible or money for food.
They experienced God’s provision by the hands of strangers and He allowed them to minister to others almost daily. Most of us should never consider something off-the-wall like walking across America, but we all should be more willing to go out into our communities and find the needs around us. We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to a world in need as well as the voice that proclaims the way to salvation. Rick and Jane McKinney embodied that well during their journey. I would encourage you to pick up their book and be challenged by it as well.
Seeing God 