South Africa, in many ways, is a nation of runners. Simply mention the word “Comrades” and everybody has a story about or personal connection to the race. Comrades, by the way, is a 55 mile ultra-marathon between Pietermartizburg and Durban that is held every year. And it’s not just that everybody knows about it… people I never would have pegged as ultra-marathoners tell me how they’ve ran comrades and want to do so again. My site supervisor, a 60 year old pastor, has participated in the race four times since turning 55!
Personally, in addition to providing more inspiration than I could ever have dreamed of, running has been a central part of my journey in Umphumulo. In many ways, it is an excellent metaphor for many of the struggles and joys that come with walking with my hosts in and around my site. For that matter, the metaphor easily extends to anyone with a desire to live a life open to God’s direction in any context. Let me explain:
Step 1: Bed to door
I often find the biggest threat to my running schedule is my bed. No matter how many times I have woken up, dressed, and enjoyed a morning run, I always have to fight the urge to hit the snooze. I’m amazed at the excuses my brain comes up with! I tell myself that I need more sleep to be focused during the day, that it’s too hot/cloudy/humid/misty/sunny/rainy/cold to go run, that I overslept too much to run as far as I was planning, that my shoes are still wet from the day before, that I should practice Zulu before work, that my legs are too sore, that I deserve a day off, and a dozen other things that make not leaving my bed sound incredibly appealing.
I think that this can be one of the biggest struggles as we try and live a life of accompaniment as well. It takes more than just setting an alarm, marking one’s calendar, or having a set of goals and a schedule to walk the path God has placed in front of us. Every day, we must face the same demons of exhaustion, apathy, boredom, temptations, and other distractions. No matter what our track record, it’s not always easy to lace up one’s shoes and step out of the door.
Step 2: Door to door
No matter how far I’m planning on running, I always begin with the same stretch of road. I turn right at the church center gate and run up hill until I reach the main road. From there, the road takes me toward Mapumulo in one direction and towards Kranskop in the other. Since many people walk everywhere in and around Umphumulo, the roads almost serve as a second town town-square. No matter what time I run, I never fail to see people on the road: driving, walking, carrying water, sitting, washing clothes, talking, waiting for taxis, resting, herding cows, playing soccer… the list goes on and on. I try to say a casual (and often out of breath!) “sawubona” to the people I pass, and invariably receive a greeting and smile in return. There’s something amazingly refreshing about greeting everyone I meet, even though each encounter lasts only a few seconds.
No matter what we do, it’s important to meet people as they are. It’s a two way street (pardon the pun), as we both put ourselves “out there” and are joined by those in our communities as they go about their daily activities. There’s so much to see and learn from these intersections, not matter the context in which they occur. In addition it’s amazing to see the extent that our community members recognize us and our routines, even as they go about theirs. For example, I pass certain houses at about the same time each day, and am always greeted by the same mother working washing clothes, by the same kids getting ready to go to school, and waved to by the same man working in his garden.
Part 3: Running together
People are fascinated to see me running. Passing drivers honk their horns, wave, or simply stare. Dogs get nervous as I run by, and often feel the need to chase me away from their homes. Many people ask to join me, although most rarely do. Many times, groups of primary school kids will run with me—backpacks bouncing, shoes pounding the pavement, giggling uncontrollably—as I pass where they’re walking. High school guys occasionally join too, running alongside me for a couple hundred meters until they feel they’ve proved their masculinity. The most memorable running together moment, however, happened on my first long run in Umphumulo. I had just reached my turn around point, and was starting up a massive hill—the kind they build runaway truck ramps for in the US—when an 11-12 year old girl asked if she could run with me. I was happy for the company, and we went off together. We passed her mother and grandmother as they worked in a field, and she cheerfully answered their questions and stares as we ran by. Between breaths, I asked her name and a few questions about her family and school, and explained that I was a volunteer from the United States staying in Umphumulo. My new friend ran with me for about a mile up the steepest part of the hill, which is by far the longest anyone has run with me. She gave me a huge energy boost during the toughest part of my run, and completely removed any temptations about slowing down or walking before getting to the top. The rest of the run, both literally and figuratively, was all downhill from there.
Trying to follow God’s plan for our lives can be challenging for us and for those around us, just like running. People will likely be surprised by what we are doing and why we are doing it, or just curious to learn how we ended up so far from home. Often, seeing God’s work in our lives—whatever it might be—inspires people to walk with us. Support like this happens when we least expect it. Amazingly, this is often when we benefit from it the most.
Part 4: Stretching
Admittedly, stretching after a run is not one of my favorite parts of the routine. I’d much rather have a glass of water, take a cold bath, or just not stretch. However, as many friends have pointed out, stretching might be the most valuable thing to do after a hard workout to recover, strengthen muscles, and truly benefit from a run. So, I dutifully spend a few minutes loosening up once I return home.
On the accompaniment side, stretching is by far the most important part of the process. It’s all well and good to meet people for five seconds at a time when we’re too out of breath or busy to stop for long, but it’s impossible to establish any lasting relationships with those around us without more in depth interactions. Stretching is what takes place when we meet those who we’ve seen from the side of the road in a new context. The connection formed during a run that we share with these friends is a perfect jumping block to learn more about their lives and to share our lives with them. I can’t begin to count the number of people who have excitedly told me that they saw me running some place or another; it’s a great way to start conversations. By stretching these connections, we strengthen our relationships in ways that wouldn’t be possible if all we did was run.
