“The Long Walk”
by
Slavomir Rawicz

The story that inspired the major motion picture, “The Way Back”, starring Colin Farrell and Ed Harris.

I am approached by many who often state emphatically that “they have never seen it as bad as it is now. Wars, earthquakes, violence, debt. Surely, the Lord’s return is imminent.”

For those that believe that this is true, they should take the time to read “The Long Walk”, it is a true story about a walk to freedom.

As I began to read this book, I was immediately interested because of the first city mentioned, Kharkov, Ukraine (April 1940). This is where Slavomir Rawicz found himself, in the great stone prison in Kharhov (pronounce Harkov). You see, I was in Kharkov in 2010, with a team of Christians, with the purpose of church planting and encouraging believers. Many of our meetings were held in former communist meeting halls and secret hideaways. Kharkov was famous for its military munition plants and tank production for the Russian military.

Slavomir Rawicz had been accused of being a Polish spy and sentenced to twenty-five years in a Soviet labor camp. He and six other prisoners escaped from Yakutsk.  Their trek – thousands of miles on foot – through the Siberian winter, China, the Gobi Desert, Tibet and finally, ove r the Himalayas into India.  This is truly a remarkable journey to freedom.

The first lesson I obtained from this inspiring book was the importance of perseverance and endurance in the life of  an individual.  This quality must be embraced and put into practice if one intends to run the race successfully.

The second lesson that inspired me, came from a statement that the author made at the end of his journey while coming out of the Himalayas.  He stated that not one of them would have survived if traveling alone but as a group they were able to navigate and encourage and support one another through the most difficult days and nights.  This serves as a reminder to us that we need each other and no one is an island unto himself.

I reccommend reading the book and then possibly watching the movie.

Captured and kept by His Grace,

Pastor Greg