The Human Speed of Life

One writer reports seeing the following sign in his bank manager’s office:

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.  It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or be killed.  Every morning a lion wakes up.  It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or starve.  It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle.  When the sun comes up, you’d better be running.”

The human speed of life, the speed at which we walk, is about three miles an hour.  While running may occasionally be necessary, it ought not be a way of life.  When you run you can only focus on yourself and your own interests and agenda in getting somewhere quickly.  If you walk, however, you can pay attention to those you are with and what is going on around you.  In other words, you can live.

The Christian tradition has wisely talked about us “walking” with God, even though we often turn that into a sprint!  Perhaps we need to rethink that one!