May 9, 2024 | Moss, Norway [Atle F. Aluwini]
Spiritual Lessons at Mary Jones Walk
Norwegian Adventists have a tradition of exalting the Bible and the missionary work of the Norwegian Bible Society during the 60 days before Easter. When preparing a sermon related to this theme, I was also looking for stories that would help children connect to the theme.
If there is a story that demonstrates young people’s faith and commitment to the value of the Bible, it is the story of Mary Jones and her determination to get her own Bible in her own language. She learned that Mary had been saving for six years to buy her Bible, and I was amazed at the power of Mary’s inspiration in her life. I was so impressed by Mary’s faith and her experiences that she began to dream of doing the same walk (42 km) as Mary Jones, who was 16 years old in 1800.
From dream to reality!
I wrote the first draft of this article from inside St Michael’s Church, a small village church in Llanfyhangel y Pennant, in the heart of North Wales (UK), where Mary Jones lived as a child. Located in Snowdonia National Park[it] It is a naturally rich region with high mountains, deep valleys, forests, rushing rivers, waterfalls, and many lakes and reservoirs. ” (1)
I finally arrived after finishing my walk from Rose the day before. Most people usually walk in the opposite direction, heading to Barra from her home village of Mary and ending at her visitor and education center, Mary Jones.
But of course, after purchasing the Bible, Mary walked home. And for me, walking from Rose to her home village meant sharing in the joy of Mary walking, and sometimes running, home with not one but three Bibles. Little did she know that all her efforts to obtain her own Bible would inspire the Reverend Thomas Charles, and she would become a central figure in the founding of the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1804. .
For me, this experience was also an opportunity to reflect on prayer, my mission and service as a pastor and as Prayer Coordinator for the Norwegian Union Conference. I knew my calling was to follow the Lord’s leading and pay attention to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit.
Lesson 1 – God is here.
I left Barra at 8.15am on Monday morning, following the narrow path along the eastern side of Llyn Teguid, Lake Barra. It was a great start with beautiful views and no navigation issues, just following the path. I soon came to St. Guywer’s Church. Here I found a grave with the following inscription:
Kiss of the sun asking for forgiveness
Bird songs that bring joy
Those in the garden draw closer to the heart of God
More than anywhere else on earth.
All along the way, I expected God’s presence, but this little poem written on the tomb confirmed that more lessons can be learned by paying attention to details.
Lesson 2 – Help from Zion.
In the small village of Ranuushrin, I needed to find my way forward. There I met a friendly man with his young grandson and golden retriever dog. We talked about our journey so far and then said goodbye. After he left, I sat for a while to tend to one of his toes. A few minutes later he came back looking anxious for me, but he told me to call him anytime if I needed any help along the way. We exchanged phone numbers and learned that his name was, well, “Sion.” This means “God is merciful” in the original Welsh. His help and support was extremely valuable and welcomed. I felt like I received help from heaven, from Zion, as I read in the Bible.
“May the Lord answer you in your time of distress. May the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May God send you help from the sanctuary and support from Zion. ”
Psalm 20:1
I had just received Spiritual Lesson #2 and felt like I needed more.
Lesson 3 – Aim low.
Zion showed me the way to go, but despite his guidance I ended up climbing too far up the hillside, which resulted in me veering to the right and walking to a lower point, eventually ending up We decided to walk through the farm. The dog started barking and I had an unpleasant feeling that I was trespassing. A few minutes later, a car approached me from behind, stopped, and I received a “candid statement” from the driver through the lowered driver’s side window. “Don’t you have a map?” cried the woman. “I’m sorry,” I answered. “I’m on the Mary Jones Walk.”
Well, even if you have a map (read: Bible) in your hand, sometimes you can still go astray. However, a sound Biblical principle is to “humble yourselves.” Jesus said: “When you are invited to a party, be careful not to aim for the highest seat at the table.” No, please sit in the lower seat. If the host desires, they may invite you to sit higher (Luke 14:10).
Lesson #3: Aim low. If God has other plans, He will ask you to step up.
Lesson 4 – God is guiding.
As we continued in a southwesterly direction, we found that there was plenty of room for navigational errors. At several points the road split into two. One time I took a right turn, but a minute later I noticed a large tree blocking the road. This led me to revisit the Ordnance Survey app. Yes, I was on the wrong path.
Lesson #4 hit home for me. God is guiding and may block your path to get you back on the right path. But stay humble, check again, and redirect.
Lesson 5 – Guiding Principles.
Then the paths diverged again, but this time it wasn’t clear even with the Ordnance Survey app. I decided to follow the principles I had learned earlier that day. Stay low, and so did I. I took the lower path and before I knew it I had strayed off the Mary Jones Track. But once again, I quickly realized that God was showing me something.
A treasure appeared right next to this “lower path” that I found. It was an old church hidden in the trees behind an important gate. I entered the church and discovered the prayer of Francis of Assisi. I first heard and learned this prayer at school when I was 12 years old. This prayer is known to most Christians, but it just came fresh to my mind.
Because by giving we can receive.
By forgiving we are forgiven.
And by dying we are born into eternal life.
On my way out of the churchyard, I noticed an inscription on the gate: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Lesson number five came to mind for me in these words: Sometimes even the Bible is not clear. Next, stay with the main principles shared in Galatians 5:22-23 and list the fruits of the Spirit. “Remain modest” has been my guideline and God has shown me once again that He has something very important to say.
Lesson 6 – Use the gear you are familiar with.
Before I left my home in Norway to head to Wales, I was wondering which boots to wear. First, I decided to bring a new pair of mountain boots that I had never used before. But at just the right time, I went to buy a pair of shoes that I use almost every day. I was confident they wouldn’t cause me any problems, and that turned out to be correct. The first day I walked for 11 hours, I was exhausted but my legs were fine.
Lesson number 6. Use your own tried-and-tested gear when taking on the challenge. Stick to what you know works rather than trying unfamiliar methods.
Lesson 7 – Face disappointment.
As we approached Llanuushrin with about an hour to go, we passed the first and only donkey we had seen on our walk. She should have taken a photo, but her phone had extra battery. Shortly after, I passed the Minford Hotel. This sign says “Open – No vacancies.”
Immediately I thought of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem. I was extremely tired and frightening visions began to haunt me. “No, Lord, please don’t make me go through what Joseph and Mary did!”
Our target for the night was a hotel at the top of Lin Muingil. I had no idea if it was full or closed, but I didn’t make a reservation anyway.
Now that still little voice conveyed a message that I was not yet ready to accept. I continued walking, expecting something unpleasant to happen. I spoke to the Lord again. “No, Jesus, please. I don’t need the experience of Mary and Joseph. Let me imagine what it was like for them without experiencing it. Lord, please forgive me!”
As you might have guessed where this story was going, the hotel was closed for renovations. When I met my manager, before I could say much, he took one look at my listless and dejected state and said, “You know what? There is a vacancy. Send a text message to let staff know about your arrival. ”
Lesson #7: Life has its twists and turns. Expect disappointment. Although we cannot have a contingency plan for every situation in life, God still guides us.
I could share some more lessons I learned along the way, but for now I’ll end with a few words from Psalm 37 that I find very meaningful.
Dedicate your way to the Lord. If you believe in him, he will do it…
Psalm 37:5
postscript
I plan to return to Wales at the end of April 2025 to invite more people to experience this walk. Maybe God is teaching you a lesson too? My new friend Shion has already registered. If you would like to experience the Mary Jones Walk, a prayer walk through beautiful Wales, and gain an inspired understanding of God’s vision for the people of Wales, for yourself, for the Church and for the future, please let us know. If so, please send your message to: [email protected]
1. https://visitbala.org.uk/
We would like to thank Mr. Victor Marley (President of the Norwegian Union Congress) for granting us travel permission for this walk, and Mr. David Neal for his valuable advice in advance.
Atul F. Alwini is pastor of a church in the Moss area and prayer coordinator for the United Conference of Norway.
Bible text from the NIV.
Photo: Atle F. Aluwini Adventist Media Exchange (CC BY 4.0)
Featured image: St Michael’s Church, Llanfyhangel y Pennant, Gwynedd, North Wales.
In June 2018, a group of TED youth led by Dejan Stojković and Victor Hulbert also experienced the Mary Jones Walk. You can read their report here.
Toward the Future – The End of the Mary Jones Story
How far does the Bible go?
