As I interacted with my pilgrim family today, there was a lot of excitement! In fact, some of it almost bordered on giddiness. Tomorrow is the big day!
For some pilgrims, this is a lifelong dream that will become reality. They have been planning this for years! They can’t believe that tomorrow they will shoulder their backpacks for the final time, and walk this last stage into the city of Santiago de Compostela, signaling the end of their pilgrimage!
Some of these pilgrims are devout Catholics and this pilgrimage has meant the world to them! Other pilgrims have been non-practicing Catholics, but this pilgrimage has caused them to come back to their religious roots.
And then there are those like me — non-Catholics, but who have appreciated the religious focus. This pilgrimage has served to help us tone our bodies, minds, and souls. I know I can say that God has really done a work on and in me over the last few weeks!
So today I enjoyed observing the mood and the conversations. Most are more than ready to check in at the Pilgrim’s office in Santiago and show off their stamps, documenting that they have completed all the required stages of the Camino and are now ready to receive their certificate called a Compostela.
Well, what about my mood? I’m excited as well! Now I’m not so excited for the crowds — that doesn’t do much for me. I’m not even excited for the Compostela, the certificate of completion — I’m not much of a certificate type of guy — but my family is pressuring me to get it. So, even though it will probably end up in the trash someday, I will try to brave the lines. But if I see there is a long wait, then this boy will probably occupy his time doing something else! Sorry fam!
Even though we pilgrims are excited about reaching Santiago, I’ll admit that I am more excited about the Biblical implications of the “end of the earth”, Finisterre, and dipping my feet in the Atlantic Ocean! So, Lord willing, after attending the special mass for pilgrims (and hopefully experiencing the swinging botafumeiro — I might tell you about that tomorrow or you can research this fascinating practice), and attending all the festivities designed for pilgrims, I will begin my last four stages to Finisterre early Wednesday morning.
Tomorrow will be a blur of activity. Even though tomorrow’s walk is a short-mileage day of around 13 miles, I am considering leaving around 5:30 AM to get a jump on the crowds that will be eager to get to Santiago.
Just quickly, I’d like to invite you to grab a chair and listen in on the thoughts that were rattling around in my head as I walked my 15 miles today. During the second-to-last stage on the official Camino de Santiago, I was doing a lot of thinking.
Most of my thoughts had to do with the term “peregrino” or pilgrim. Now as a pastor, I have probably overused the phrase, “We are just pilgrims, passing through.” And of course, that is true! We ARE pilgrims on this earth who are just passing through. But honestly, I had never really thought about what it meant to be a pilgrim. Being on the Camino for the last five weeks has increased my understanding of what it means to be a pilgrim.
In my thoughts this morning, I realized there are certain characteristics that make pilgrims easily identified. The first thing that makes a pilgrim identifiable is the scallop shell that they have to wear on the outside of their pack.
My pack with the scallop shell
Then, as I have talked about several times, we have to have a credential referred to as a pilgrim passport that has to be shown and stamped at every hostel. A pilgrim can’t even stay at certain hostels without it.
My pilgrim passport full of the necessary stamps
So my thoughts centered around these two identifiable characteristics of a Camino pilgrim. My thoughts then went to our pilgrimage on the Camino of life. What are, or what should be, the identifiable characteristics for those of us who are pilgrims passing through this earth to heaven? Should we attach something to us to let people know we are pilgrims? Should we have a credential we can pull out and show? I don’t think that is what Jesus would want!
But I believe there IS an identifiable characteristic. In fact, there are several. One characteristic is found in John 13:35, which talks about others knowing we are His disciples by our love for each other. Another is found in Galatians 5:22-23, which talks about the Fruit of the Spirit.
So instead of carrying around a shell or credential or passport or church membership card, the above characteristics will let people know you are a Pilgrim of Jesus on the Camino of life!
Thanks for walking my 16 miles with me!
Finally a cafe con leche big enough to taste!
One of the top 3 coffee shops on the Camino so far
Sunrise peeping through the trees
Storage for produce
They had a good corn crop here this year — 10-12 feet tall
The dog gets a free ride!
Approximate total miles: 560
Approximate miles walked today: 16
Approximate remaining miles: 82