HOW FAR WOULD YOU WALK FOR KINDNESS’ SAKE? To put yourself out there with different people, in new places, just to be with them? Without agenda beyond actually “walking the talk”?

In August, my husband, Jim, walked 90 miles in nine days with a high school best friend, Bob. From north of Seattle to Olympia, Washington, the Be Kind, Do Good Walk trailed through neighborhoods and urban centers, along highways, through industrial areas, alongside an airport and a military base. The miles alone are a big accomplishment for a 73 -year old guy!

But back in February, I was skeptical. Jim wanted to “do something” in response to the increasing divisiveness of our nation. What difference would this make? I wondered. As plans solidified, my spiritual ears perked up: They wanted to begin and end each day with a different faith community along the route. They would hand out home-baked cookies and free Be Kind, Do Good t-shirts to anyone that wanted them. They won me over!

The Walk was not religious or political; there would be no signs or message except Be Kind, Do Good. With Jim and Bob, these faith groups would honor the simple message of the Walk. I began to envision the weaving of faithful people across varied theologies and cultures. I marveled at Jim’s commitment to real relationship-building in response to our fractured times. As his wife, I’m biased of course, but watching the development of the Walk was truly inspiring!

Preparations took six months of persistent, optimistic effort. I watched Jim’s natural gifts of enthusiasm and hospitality flow. …Cold calls and visits to unfamiliar neighborhoods? No problem! A Jewish synagogue backed out because of security concerns, but another was willing. It took months to find a Muslim contact, but Jim wanted to include the third Abrahamic tradition. Some groups never responded, and some didn’t have the people-power to arrange things. By summer, Jim realized he really needed to visit each faith community, so his weekends included trips up and down the I-5 corridor to speak to gatherings of Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Episcopalians, Mormons, Lutherans, and Quakers. He always brought cookies.

At home, Jim designed and ordered 1,000 t-shirts. He set up a website, wrote many blog posts, and began accepting donations to cover the estimated $10,000 in costs. He mapped and drove a route that maximized sidewalks and people-contact. Meanwhile, he had to get his body ready too. His hikes around our South Whidbey Island home stretched from two to 12 miles, from two to four hours several times a week.

Do you hear the commitment, the patient attention to detail, the joy in the effort? To me, Jim’s energy radiated Spirit long before they began walking. Jim was dedicated, faithful to following Divine guidance in ways that bless others.

The Walk itself was full of grace. Jim and Bob didn’t measure success by numbers of walkers, which varied from 3 to 20 over the 10 days. Instead, they appreciated small meaningful interactions as they talked with people, handed out cookies, and were grateful guests in faith communities along the way: They were touched by the welcome of the Jewish congregation, when a member of the synagogue offered an impromptu talk on the Torah and opened the ark filled with historic Torah scrolls. They were honored when the Islamic Imam joined the group for part of the third day’s route in SeaTac. They enjoyed the Mormon congregation who hosted a sing-along to a poem Bob wrote about the Walk. They loved the enthusiastic immigrant Catholic congregation who shared an ethnic feast in South Seattle.

Stories that light up my heart

At the beginning of the second day’s walk through downtown Seattle, a Jewish rabbi offered a blessing that moved Jim and Bob to tears. They read it aloud in other faith communities in the days that followed.

South of Tacoma, a Lutheran congregation met the tired walkers a mile from their church to cheer them on. From car speakers, they blasted music from the old movie, Chariots of Fire. On arrival, they washed Jim and Bob’s feet in prayerful welcome. A masseuse rubbed Bob’s feet and shoulders, easing the strain of the miles.

In Olympia, they passed an encampment of houseless folk just as volunteers were setting up tables for a meal. They contributed several bags of cookies and began walking away. A man ran after them, yelling, “Wait! Can I have a t-shirt?” Of course. He stripped off what he was wearing, put on a Be Kind, Do Good shirt and said, “I haven’t had a new shirt in a long time!” Jim’s warmth, openness, and ability to relate kindly to every single person he met along the road, including the downtrodden, touched many hearts.

Contagious Goodness

When someone is lit up by Spirit, the energy for good is contagious. As Jim began planning in the spring, his networks started buzzing. Friends from 50 years ago, now living all over the world, donated thousands. A couple from Utah offered to drive their truck to serve as support vehicle with water, cookies, t-shirts, and rides to overnight accommodations. In July, local friends and Quaker meeting members baked dozens and dozens of cookies and delivered them to our freezer.
When Jim wrote to news outlets and legislators whose districts they would pass through, an article appeared on the Faith and Values Network website. A Seattle area Rep offered a stirring video endorsement to post on the website. The Rep from Whidbey Island joined launch day at North Seattle Friends Church.

The faith communities caught the goodness bug. Full breakfasts, dinners, or ethnic snacks fueled friendly conversation and tired bodies. Good conversation, laughter, and hugs, happened with ease. The generosity and encouragement of these congregations became the heart of the 10-day Walk.
I just love how all the people and possibilities worked together to help make this Leading of the Spirit unfold. It was a collaborative unfolding. The Kindness Walk was an experience that grew between people, an organic experiment immersed in Great Compassion.

Follow Up

For many days after their final miles to Olympia, both Jim and Bob caught themselves approaching people with a smile, thinking, “Would you like a cookie?” It’s as if their souls continued living in an alternate generous and warm reality. What if more people tried it?

They are still scheming how to give away several hundred more Be Kind, Do Good t-shirts. They are all paid for. Total donations almost exactly matched expenses for the Walk, including a generous contribution from our Quaker meeting. Gratitude runs deep! In September, Jim gave away shirts freely at a table at our local farmer’s market; extra donations went to nearby foodbank. Bob has plans for something in Eugene, Oregon. His niece might bring Bob and Jim to Boise for an event with local faith leaders. The message of the Walk lives on! Read more below:

• In April, Jim and Bob were featured in a write up on Sojourners Magazine website.
• September 15, the South Whidbey Record ran an article: Friends Go the Extra Mile for Kindness
• September 21, “FaVS” (Faith and Values online news from the inland Pacific Northwest) published a post-Walk story including interviews from several participating faith communities.
• In October, Jim shares in his own stories for Light Magazine, a quarterly publication of St. Augustine-in-the-Woods, Freeland, WA.

A Blessing for Every Step

To close, please take in this excerpt from a Rabbi Jessie Epstien’s blessing offered for the Be Kind, Do Good Walk on 8/13/26 at Temple Beth Am:

May you find grace, kindness, and compassion —
in the eyes of the Holy One
and in the eyes of every person you encounter.
May you be kind.
May you do good.
May you walk humbly.
And may you discover, mile after mile,
that peace is not only the destination toward which we walk.
It is also a way of walking.

My Part

I knew from the start that I couldn’t walk 90 miles because of an arthritic back and knees. I also got a flu bug that laid me out while the Be Kind, Do Good Walk was happening. Argh! So I watched the group begin, showed up for lunch in the middle, and welcomed their final steps to the Capitol building. My part was mostly to cheer and pray.

And now I’m celebrating their example of faithfulness. We can all do something kind, small or large, with no big expectations or guarantees. That’s the good news for me today!