Santiago de Compostela

Today was a good day for most of us. For Jon, it was a test of his grit. As I mentioned briefly, Jon’s feet and legs have not been in a great place. Today his leg and knee were really bothering him. He pretty much limped the whole 18km today. He has grit and he clenched his teeth and did it! The rest of us had to watch him walk in pain. Thankfully, we all made it! The last part of the trip is such a strange experience. I thought it would be like seeing the Emerald City from far off and we would go running to the steps of the cathedral. Actually it was a windy path through downtrodden urban neighborhoods and you couldn’t even see the steeple until you rounded the corner of a bunch of old buildings and suddenly it was there. Not what I imagined. I guess though it is a metaphor and this whole trip is a pilgrimage for self reflection. I know Martin Luther would roll his eyes at me for wanting the compestella but honestly, I think God understands our need for physical gestures to help us believe and understand the heavenly gestures. Why else would He use water and wine and bread? He knows we are weak minded and need something physical to hold onto. The pilgrimage and piece of paper in the end aren’t necessary for forgiveness and grace. But they help us get to the right place to receive forgiveness and believe that it is true.

I don’t know if it is something I’d frame in my house but I do know I will treasure it and use it to remember this awesome adventure of bonding as a family and sending off our first born into the world. The boys talked for 180km to each other- to us- And hopefully in their heads with God. I feel good about how we solved problems and worked as a team. I’m satisfied with my Camino and feel grateful for this opportunity. What an adventure!

This evening we went to mass. It was all in Spanish but we knew the order of service and could tell what was happening. They swung the botafumiero at the end which is a special treat. The cathedral was amazing. What a grand finale!

(By the way, funny that thousands of years of pilgrimage on a holy trail doesn’t trump modern necessities. The trail is clearly moved to go around an airport runway. Funny!)Read more