As we begin a new week, I want to share with you to words of Father David Pivonka that spoke to me. In his book, Hiking the Camino: 500 Miles with Jesus, he wrote:
"Following Christ. . . is not simply about those first exciting days. It is about days that are hard, days filled with trials, days that are dull and empty with seemingly nothing happening. But we keep on walking because this is a part of life, and it is the only way to get to a place of rest. I often need to be reminded that this is a spiritual life, not a day, week, month or year.” (Underline added)
The Camino is a historic pilgrimage that ends in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela which is located in Northern Spain. Routes exist all over Europe that end at this sacred place. In fact, pilgrims who travel the Camino can obtain a “pilgrims’s passport” or “credentials” which will allow them to stay in hostels along the way and be provided food and lodging. It is believed that at the end of the journey, sojourners will find the final resting place of St James the Great, or as we might remember him, James the son of Zebedee.
500 miles. . . that is what Father David walked along this pathway. He was alone with God. Learning from God. Being shaped by God in an intimate way. Father David learned many lessons about having the proper perspective as a Christian. While times exist when I am tempted to see only to the tip of my nose and believe that is all that is before me, this quotation challenges that notion.
Our spiritual life is different. It spans the entirety of my/our existence—if I am willing to embrace it and continually learn from it. I wonder what Father David’s word conjure up in your mind? Is “nothing happening” today, or is today an opportunity to lean into God?
Blessings
Rev. Derek
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