Christian walking

St John the Evangelist, Wotton

This is walk 25 in the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Guide 'Outstanding Circular Walks in Surrey.' We did the walk this afternoon, on our wedding anniversary, with our university friend Sarah from London. Almost all the walk is off-road on woodland paths and enclosed tracks just south of the North Downs. For much of the time you think you really are in the countryside. There are no signs of human habitation apart from the occasional farmhouse dotted about. All in all this was a delightful walk, its natural beauty enhanced by the company and conversation of our lovely friend.

Early on, in Abinger Roughs, we passed the monument to Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Winchester and son of the abolitionist William Wilberforce. While on his way to see Gladstone at Holmbury St Mary, he had a riding accident here in 1873 and died. Samuel Wilberforce was chiefly known for opposing Darwin's views on evolution in a debate in 1860.

We also passed a couple of interesting churches. Just outside Gomshall station is St Augustine's Coptic Orthodox Church. The Coptic Church is centred on Egypt but has dioceses across the world. St Augustine’s is one of about 30 Coptic Orthodox churches in the UK. The Coptic Orthodox Church split from the rest of Christendom after the Council of Chalcedon in 451. There was an obscure theological disagreement about the nature of Christ. The Egyptian (Alexandrian) Church held that the divine nature and the human nature of Christ were fused into one, which therefore made the divine nature capable of suffering. The prevailing view of the rest of the Church was that there was in Christ two distinct natures, the distinctive character of each being preserved and coming together to form one person.

That is an altogether different kind of Christian argument from whether same-sex marriage is as valid in God’s eyes as marriage between a man and a woman.

The second church of interest was St John the Evangelist in Wotton. The church stands alone on a hillside looking across the valley. It is a very old and sturdy building with small windows. In fact parts of the church date from Saxon times, although the list of rectors on a board starts only in 1292. Around the door of the porch are small stone carvings of King John and his Archbishop of Canterbury, Stephen Langton.

Inside the church building, I looked in vain for a history; but I did see a note advertising the Christian Walking Club. I had never heard of this before. It is rather like a Christian version of the Ramblers’ Association. It organises walks of various grades in different parts of the UK lasting from one day to a week. The membership – about 400 – comes from all walks of life and church denominations. Or so their website says. Membership is open to all Christians ‘who accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour’, language which is more often found on the protestant or evangelical side.

Their programme of walks is attractive, but their events are time-consuming. So on logistical rather than theological grounds, I decided it was probably not for me.