The path less travelled (& what we can learn from younger people)

Ethan Malcolm is a 22 year old student who decided earlier this year to take up the challenge to walk the entire length of the country, from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He doing it to raise funds for Hope into Action and is aiming to cover the 12oo miles in 60 days.

Hope into Action allow staff to take regular retreat days each year and so I took one on Friday to join him (and his mate Luke) to walk one leg covering 20 miles in the Derbyshire Peak district.  It was beautiful countryside but the walk was far more demanding than I had anticipated. The ups and downs and the endless stiles, whilst carrying a tent, meant I was struggling in the second half.

Here is a brief interview Ethan did with me on the top of one of the hills:

All the people we met along the way were interested and inspired by Ethan’s walk. It opened up some great conversations in the pubs and shops where we stopped for refreshments.

The whole venture has inspired me because Ethan has been prepared to take up such a challenge and step out of his comfort zone. What stuck me was that each day, he often doesn’t exactly know where he is going to sleep that night but searches out suitable places to camp down en route. On Friday we did the distance intended but ended the day in quite a different town than the original plan. There really is no fixed path!

Learning from younger people

Of course its valid that young people can learn from older generations. But I think we also need to consider the other way around: what can older people learn from younger generations?

Let’s be honest, middle-age so easily brings so much caution and conformity. There is great spiritual danger in our lives becoming boring and safe.

The young people I have got to know from my church, the summer youth camp I have helped lead and my cricket club, often impress me with their compassion, concern for justice and their willingness to step out in faith for what they believe. I think they have less cynicism than my generation, despite the immense pressures they are under.

Ethan’s walk has a real sense of a counter-cultural pilgrimage. I was reminded me of this quote from Kenneth Leech, the Anglican priest who founded the youth homeless charity Centrepoint:

‘Our spiritual pilgrimage is not within an artificial religious world, but within the real world in which coal is mined and lemon meringue pie is made, the world in which companies are taken over and homeless people die in the street, the world in which wars are declared and millions long for peace and for justice.’

Over the course of the walk, Ethan is aiming to raise £12,000 for Hope into Action’s work to provide housing and hope for people who are homeless. This amount will enable us to open 2 more locations to add to our 37 locations and 130 houses across the UK.

Donate to #NoFixedPath: Ethan’s walk for Hope

Follow Ethan’s adventures at #NoFixedPath on Instagram and Facebook.