Concordia, Ann Arbor, students 'Walk to Calvary'

By Seth Hinz

This Lenten season, the Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich., community completed a project to walk the 6,029 miles from their campus to Calvary — the hill outside ancient Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified.

The venture was put together by sophomore Michelle Rink, who borrowed the idea from her home congregation’s “Walk to Calvary.”

“It was really awesome seeing our congregation come together in this unique way,” Rink said, “and I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring students at Concordia closer to each other and to Christ.”

At the beginning of the project, each student was given a nail to carry in his or her pocket.  The gesture was meant to remind them why they were walking.

Walks were completed by students and faculty on their own time.  Each week, participants turned in the number of miles they walked and the totals were announced at a midday chapel service.  Along with the number of miles walked, the school’s “Walk to Calvary” committee also allowed 30 minutes of exercise to count as one mile.

The goal was to “travel to Calvary” before Easter break.  At the end of the project, on March 30, Concordia faculty, staff, and students learned they not only reached their goal, but walked 600 additional miles!

That day, students also were given the opportunity to hammer their nails into a cross as their “final step” to Calvary.

Rink said it was “fun to hear people talk about how excited they are about how far we have traveled.”

The project, she added, “brought our community closer together as we all worked toward one common goal.

“As we journeyed toward Calvary, we were also brought closer to Christ by keeping Him as the focus and purpose of why we are doing this.”

Seth Hinz is media relations manager at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Posted April 7, 2010

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