Paul Was Here

It is quite hard to find places where we can be sure Paul walked, but this is one of them. It is part of a section of the Via Egnatia, the Roman road that Paul would have followed from Neapolis to Philippi.

We only walked a short stretch but it was nevertheless a good reminder of the physical cost of Paul's missionary endeavour. As far as I can see, Paul walked pretty much everywhere, covering between 20-30 miles a day. He would have been around 45 during this missionary journey; not a young man but obviously a man of considerable stamina and perseverance.

What motivated him? I often return to his words to the Corinthian church 'Christ's love compels us' (2 Cor 5:14). Paul was clearly a driven man, but not for himself but the gospel which had changed others: Lydia, the Philippian jailer and so many more besides, then and since.

That was worth walking for.