According to google maps, the journey along the Jordan River from Nazareth to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is 166 kilometers, or 103.2 miles.
In 2013, we had our first Advent Run/Walk to Bethlehem. As a way to promote living well in the midst of a season that is notoriously difficult on healthy habits, we went on a run together. The goal was to honor the journey of Mary and Joseph by running the 103 miles it takes to get from Nazareth to Bethlehem. We promoted the run through this blog and at The Pulpit Fiction Podcast. We asked people to log in their runs and walks online, and shared updated results a few times between Thanksgiving and Epiphany. The results were phenomenal. Even though I bowed out early because of a terrible chest cold, the 2013 Advent Run had 23 different people log 67 different runs for a total of 255 miles. The runs took place in 14 different states and London, England. Our longest runner was Jessica, who ran 30 miles. My Pulpit Fiction partner Eric ran 6 times for just over a marathon (27.2 miles). We reached our goal of 103 miles in just two weeks, so we created a challenge goal. We decided to honor the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt (as told in the Gospel of Matthew) and go 333 miles. We didn’t make that goal, but I think that is a good goal for 2014. Here’s how to participate: Follow this link, and then book mark it. This year we added a “Group” option. If you are a part of a church, club, or class that wants to participate in the #AdventRun, then tell people to enter their group name. We’ll compile individual, group, and total miles. You won’t be able to register a run/walk until Thanksgiving – November 27. We’ll keep it open until Epiphany – January 6. Follow The Fat Pastor on Facebook
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