Welcome to The Long Walk

 Welcome friends. I am glad you are here.  

I am not exactly an avid blogger. My presence on social media is minimal. I only recently learned what a Google Doc is 😊. However, as I am about to set out on the Camino de Santiago, I decided I would share aspects of my adventure with those who might find value in it and who probably would not have the opportunity to walk the Camino themselves. My good friend Steven was kind enough to set this blog up for me. Thanks buddy.

For those unfamiliar with the Camino, you can find loads of info online and some fantastic videos on YouTube. In particular I would recommend these videos: Faith Walk with Peter and Kristen (Spirit and Nature Productions) for a well made film that tells their story, or Camino Frances (The Fast Hiker) if you want to see a film that is less story and more detailed on the physical aspects of the walk. If you prefer to read, Peri Zahnd has written a great little reflection on her Camino adventure with her husband Brian (one of my favorite authors of late), called Every Scene by Heart.  Basically, the Camino de Santiago is an historic Christian pilgrimage along various routes that all lead to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The route Jenny and I will be walking is known as the Camino Frances since it begins in France, but after only a day we will be in Spain for the rest of the 780 kilometer trek.  

Frankly, I am not exactly sure how often I will post.  It could be daily, weekly or just randomly when I feel inspired.  My hope is that while walking across Spain I will be able to be fully present and attentive to aspects of the experience: nature, beauty, people, God and the many historical physical testaments to the Christian faith and the pilgrims who have walked this path for over the past 1000 years (churches, monasteries, convents, art, etc.). Since this adventure is taking place during the very beginning of a sabbatical I am hesitant to commit to frequent posting, fearing that it will feel like work. So, I will post when it seems joyful to do so. 

People have been asking me why I want to walk the Camino de Santiago.  To be honest, I am not sure. It's not like I have long dreamed of this. I do know that the sabbatical seems necessary for me at this point: taking a break from pastoral ministry, feeling some residual unease over the polarizing last few years, recently finishing doctoral studies and experiencing major change to our family with both daughters getting married over the last 18 months. Instead of addressing the question of why I want to walk the Camino, I think I can more easily address the question of what I hope to get from the experience. Primarily, I hope to experience the ways in which physically walking, many miles on an old path, correlates with walking through life with Jesus.  This is obviously not easy to articulate and no matter how I attempt to phrase it, it sounds either contrived or silly, perhaps both. Maybe the best I can do is explain this hope in terms of some practices.

First, I plan to use a particular prayer liturgy or pattern as I begin walking each day.  I have often used the liturgy shared by Brian Zahnd in his book "Water to Wine" over past few years and will make this an essential aspect of my journey.  Walking while praying has become very meaningful for me going back to using Matt Canlis's book "Backyard Pilgrim" for Lent for the past 3 years.  

Second, I hope to enjoy quiet, if not exactly silence. This too can be understood as prayer or meditation. As Orthodox Christians engage the "Jesus Prayer" as part of the hesychastic tradition in which they "let the head fall into the heart" and aim at union with God beyond word or image (see Kallistos Ware), I also hope to rest in this experience while walking, to whatever degree I am able.  If in simply putting one foot in front of the other for hours each day I am able to let some of what is in my head settle and be distilled, it will be a great blessing.  It seems to me that following Jesus requires learning and leaning into His values, not just learning information. Perhaps getting away from new information will be a catalyst for this other kind of learning.

Finally, and very simply, I expect that this long walk of the Camino will serve as a powerful metaphor for life long learning, becoming and growing.  I will not be walking to find God, as though He is hiding in Santiago, but walking with Him. While this is an everyday, everywhere pattern for the life of faith, I trust that the actual, physical and undoubtedly challenging trek across the Pyrenees, the Meseta and Galicia will be a memorable lesson in this regard.  

Matt Canlis makes the observation that Jesus walked everywhere and when we walk, we are going Godspeed, about 3 miles an hour. I suppose for about 6 weeks I plan do just that. And as I blog, in some very small way, you will be with me on the journey.

Posts in this series:
Welcome to The Long Walk
Ent-ish

Fog and Crosses 

Zabaldika

The Alto de Perdon

Peripatetic Prayer

Odds and Ends

Common slogans on the Camino

Holy

Trees and Time

...    

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