Jesus the Monk

by Vicki Kemper | published on Feb 9, 2026

Discussion Questions 

  1. Read Matthew 25. Then read the devotional below, “Jesus the Monk.” 
  1. In what ways are the Buddhist monks walking for peace like Jesus? In what ways was Jesus’s ministry like the monks’ Walk for Peace? 
  1. In what ways are the fans and followers of the monks like followers of Jesus? How are they different? 
  1. What might you learn from the monks that would help you be more like Jesus?  

Devotional 

[Jesus said,] “Those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’” – Matthew 25:44 (MSG) 

Do you, like me, sometimes wonder how Jesus, the itinerant troublemaking mystic of first-century Palestine, would manifest in our time? 

I usually imagine the modern-day Jesus as a drug-addicted unhoused person, a trans woman of color, an undocumented immigrant working three jobs, an orphaned child in Gaza. Lately, I’ve been thinking Jesus might be a Buddhist monk walking thousands of miles for peace. 

For weeks now, thousands of hungry-for-hope, desperate-for-peace, spiritually-starved and just plain curious folks have gathered along roadsides to witness the power and feel the compassion of some 19 saffron-robe-wearing venerable monks (and their dog) walking from Texas to the nation’s capital. Law-enforcement personnel have closed roads, provided escorts, and given the monks their badges and shields. Some one million people follow the monks on social media. 

The Walk for Peace monks attract throngs of well-wishers and would-be peaceful people because they radiate kindness, compassion, commitment, and hope. They are putting their bodies on the line for the well-being of others. 

In his day, Jesus attracted the poor, the sick, the hopeful, and those longing for God’s realm with his compassion, a fierce commitment to the well-being of the marginalized, and scandalous stories of a God whose love knows no bounds.  

May we, too, be monk-like instruments of Jesus-like love.  

Prayer
Bless the monks and their Walk for Peace. May I see Jesus in them and all beings. May I find a way to practice peace every day, and may the peace I have found in you bless everyone I meet.

About the Author
Vicki Kemper is the Pastor of First Congregational, UCC, in Amherst, Massachusetts, and a spiritual director.