 |
| Unusually Quiet Street in Santiago |
The train that I am on heading to Barcelona just reached Leon in about 4.5 hours; a feet that took me 15 days walking. Why would anyone walk across Spain? I have been asking myself that very question for a number of days now, and I still don't seem to have an answer. Even after actually doing it. When you ask a mountain climber, why they climb a mountain, sometimes the answer you get is, "because it's there". Maybe that's why I went to do the Camino, because it was there. Because of
the history of Pilgrims who have done it before me. I can't imagine what it would have been like to accomplish the journey 1000 years ago. How would you know where you are? Or even going in the right direction for that matter (I guess they were better at following the sun that I am). I mean - when I really wanted to know where I was, I pulled out my phone, fired up Google Maps and turned on my GPS. Voila! That's where I am.
 |
| Train Station - Santiago |
What I have discovered is that the Camino is a metaphor for life itself. Life is a journey. We all start in different places, walk at different paces and are distracted by different things along the way. Some of us get injured on the journey and may have to stop and rest. Others are injured too badly and have to quit. The hills slow some people down whereas they are a challenge to others. Going downhill may actually be more painful than going up. There are places where the path is rocky and hard to navigate and other places where you are walking on the pavement. Sometimes you walk on cobblestone, and have to be careful not to twist an ankle and other times it's soft, flat well trodden dirt. Occasionally you are out in the open and able to see in all directions and others you are shrouded by trees or rock walls of the mountain passes. There are times when the sun is beating down on you and you are searching for the next water fountain, and yet again you might be getting drenched by rain. The wind may blow or it may be calm. You may be alone, with one or two others, or around a group of people. You may be in a hurry to get to your next destination or you may be walking at a leisurely pace, enjoying every bit of scenery. You may feel tired and almost as though you cannot go on, or you might be energized and raring to go. Your feet may hurt, you may smell bad and/or your clothes may be dirty; or you are high stepping, newly showered and freshly pressed. You may be comtemplative, thinking about something along your journey, or you may have your headphones in listening to your favorite song, oblivious to your surroundings and those around you. You may want to to chat with those around you or you may want to just walk in silence.
 |
| On the Train |
This is life. This is how most of us live our lives. And the Camino can help you see all of this in just a few weeks (or say just over a month if you start in France). I'm not sure that we take enough time to notice these things AS we travel through life though. I think we get a little too distracted by the things around us and we don't really evaluate our lives. We don't really live in the moment. On the Camino, you have not choice but to live in the moment. If your feet hurt - well suck it up butter cup - you are going to have to walk to the next village; that last 7 Km's isn't going to walk itself. I hope this is one of the things that I do better from now on - and that is living IN the moment. Experiencing things to their fullest - as they happen. I don't want to be rushed. I better re-phrase that - I won't let myself be rushed.
I've also come to another conclusion about the Camino. A conclusion that may not be popular with those who walk it without any faith in God. And that is - the common point we are all traveling towards, our final destination, as it were, IS God. So the push-back on this will be something like, "People of all faith's do the walk. Even those who claim not to have one". Sure. Ok. That is true. But what is also true is the origins of this walk come from traditions steeped deeply in the Christian faith. We're talking about the remains of St. James - one of the disciples of Jesus. We're talking about making a journey which was believed to absolve one of their sin (not Biblical - but one could understand how this might get interpreted this way). The Camino is the journey we all make towards God; and everything I mentioned about being distracted or not previously still applies. As I quoted in my first blog post, "We are not human beings on a spiritual journey; but spiritual beings on a human one". This is the Camino. A human journey bordering on the realm of the spiritual. Open to everyone if you are willing to do what it takes to walk it. I've heard a number of reasons why people don't believe in God while on my journey on the Camino; and many of them make good human sense. But, I'm not talking about human intellect when I talk about the Camino. I'm talking about faith. Believing in something without being able to rationalize it. That is what faith is. It's deeply personal - like walking the Camino.
In the beginning of the Bible, it tells us that we are all made in the image of God (Gen
9:6). If this is true - then every person who has walked the Camino has encountered God - but maybe not in a way they might expect. You see, as I walked the Camino and encountered others, I've actually met God. Yes, God. I figured my encounter with God would be more like something I had happen a few months after finding out I had prostate cancer. It was incredibly profound and I guess I would also describe it as close to supernatural without freaking people out (no - God didn't tell me to do something bizarre). That event is worth it's own post somewhere, and I'd be happy to post it if anyone is interested. By far, the one thing that I heard the most about the Camino from the people I talked to along the way have said stood out for them, was the interactions with the people. I would have to say the same thing. It was an incredible experience to weave in and out of people's Camino experience. We laughed together. We cried together. We shared stories, some personal, some not. We walked together, sharing stories of our pains (mostly our feet and the blisters or trying to find out what drugs the other was taking to keep the pain at bay [ibuprofen/Tylenol /etc.]) and our sucesses. And because we are all made in His image - we encounter God. Through His creation. Through His people.
Now, if you don't beleive in God - you might say - no you just talked to individuals - random people with no special significance. I would disagree. My encounter with God on the Camino was a culmination of all the people that I spent time with precisely because they were made in His image. Weather they beleive in Him or not is irrelevant because that's exactly how God works; He works with or without your beleive (otherwise He wouldn't be God). Of course, the door is always open to you to change your mind and take that step of faith. It's as easy as walking the Camino.
Buen Camino
Curt
 |
| Me with Brenda & Jim - Grateful They Let Me Join Them |
No comments:
Post a Comment