Christian Group Completes First 2 Weeks of 20 Week Walk Across America
Walkers Have Covered More Than 350 Miles of 2,500 Mile Journey; Message of Tolerance and Faith Resonating As They Approach Albuquerque
Thursday, May 04, 2006
PHOENIX – With 14 days on the road under their belts, the core walkers of CrossWalk America have seen plenty of signs that show their message of Christian compassion and inclusion is resonating with people of all faiths around the country.
The group has covered a total of 353 miles, leaving from Scottsdale, Ariz. on Easter Sunday and approaching Albuquerque, NM on Thursday, May 4, 19 days into their walk to Washington D.C. The “CrossWalkers� will cover a total of 2,500 miles before arriving in Washington on Labor Day weekend.
The CrossWalkers are covering approximately 25 miles per day. They are walking as Jesus did during his three years of Ministry, seeking to reclaim the core values of the Christian Faith. They are doing this by spreading the message that Christianity is first and foremost about the just and unconditional Love of God for all people, and Christ’s commandments to love God and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
The group began the walk on Easter Sunday with a throng of hundreds of supporters in tow, and reached Fountain Hills, Ariz., 18 miles away, that afternoon, where they joined supporters at a community picnic. On Wednesday, April 20 they arrived in Payson, Ariz., located in the mountains northeast of Phoenix, where they were welcomed by the Rev. David Rennick and members of the Payson United Methodist Church for dinner that evening. The next day dozens of local residents joined the walkers as they walked through the city.
“The walk thus far has been everything we had hoped it would be,� said Rebecca Glenn, co-president of CrossWalk America. “We’re getting a tremendous amount of emotional and spiritual support from people along the way. Most are receptive to our message of inclusion and compassion, but some are not – and we enjoy speaking with those folks just as much, if not more, than the ones who share our beliefs. We didn’t expect everyone along the way to think the way we do; what we want to do is raise awareness of our cause and the values of love of Gof, love of self, and love of our neighbors.�
The core walkers -- six ministers and lay leaders from the United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, and Metropolitan Community Church -- are inviting the country to walk with them as they go. Hundreds of people from many faiths already have already attended worship services and rallies along the route and walked with the CrossWalkers as they came through their towns. Thousands more are expected to participate. More than 55 congregations – including United Methodist, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterian, American Baptist, UCC, Episcopal, Unitarian and Disciples of Christ -- have offered to provide hospitality and speaking opportunities for CrossWalkers along the route. More than 120 families in twelve states have offered accommodations in their homes. CrossWalk America’s website traffic has increased five-fold (www.CrossWalkAmerica.org) since December 2005, and the site currently is getting visitors at the rate of more than 12,000 per month.
“I had very high expectations for this walk, and they have been exceeded every step of the way thus far,� said the Rev. Eric Elnes, Ph.D., a core walker, biblical scholar, senior pastor of the Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ and CrossWalk America co-president. “The outpouring of love, help, and affirmation we’ve received has been beyond anything I imagined. We’ve got a long way to go, but it appears our message is ringing out loud and clear, and we look forward to continuing our discussions about the future direction of Christianity with people all across the country.�
Key Walk partner organizations currently include The Center for Progressive Christianity (www.tcpc.org), the Human Rights Campaign (www.hrc.org), Pacific School of Religion (www.psr.edu), Living the Questions (www.livingthequestions.com), Protestants for the Common Good (www.thecommongood.org), No Longer Silent: Clergy for Justice (www.nolongersilent.org), Faith In America (www.faithinamerica.info), the Beatitudes Society (www.beatitudessociety.org), and The Still Speaking Initiative of the United Church of Christ (www.stillspeaking.com).
CrossWalk America is committed to offering a different voice for Christianity in America, a compassionate, inclusive witness of the Three Great Loves Jesus proclaimed as the cornerstone of Christian faith. For more information about CrossWalk America and to see the entire route to be walked, log onto www.crosswalkamerica.org.
CONTACT: Jay Taylor at (602) 390-2021 or Jay@SummitPublicRelations.com
