Time for a Long Walk
A Sermon delivered at my Unitarian Universalist Church of the Restoration on Sunday August 11 in preparation for the Camino walk.
As
some of you know, I am leaving on August 21 to walk an old pilgrimage route, El
Camino, starting in St Jean Pied de Port in Southern France, walking over the
Pyrenees and across Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela – a distance of
approximately 500 miles.
You may
wonder why a 66 year-old woman would embark on such a challenging
aspiration. Believe me, I wonder
the same thing multiple times a day! I am in the midst of a huge transition in
my life and it seems like a good time for a long walk.
Within
the last year I have finally retired from professional service – mostly. The
responsibilities and roles I’ve carried in my life have all changed. Professionally, it was the weight of
being responsible for other’s livelihood through the budget that provided jobs
in my department at the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit and at the Pa
Department of Education. I
realized that I carried those responsibilities into what I thought the role entailed even if it didn’t completely fit me. What
a relief it is to shed that mantle!
In
January my father made the ultimate transition and left us orphans. His death has changed the family
dynamic because we no longer have a parental center and the roles and
responsibilities have changed. I no
longer need to be a good daughter, but there is more emphasis on being a good
friend to my sisters. Last weekend
we had a wonderful family visit for the first time since my dad’s memorial
service.
With
these transitions, I now have the time and opportunity to explore other
aspects, to follow interests that have been dormant for some time and to create
how I want to spend the precious time I have remaining on the planet.
Santiago
has been a Catholic pilgrimage site for over 1000 years, since the bishop of
Iria Flavia seized on the opportunity to “confirm” the discovery of St. James
the apostles’ burial site. Although
he was martyred in Jerusalem, it is believed that he preached in Spain shortly
after the crucifixion. Somehow his remains ended up there.
This
discovery coincided about the time that the moors were being routed out of
Spain. St James, or Sant Iago, in
Spanish, was reputed to have appeared and helped in several key battles.
St
James’ remains are believed to be in the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela,
which means field of stars because the Camino follows the milky way.
The
Camino, or Way as it is known, is a metaphor for our own lives. We are all on a journey and as Jon
Kabat-Zinn said “Wherever You Go, There You Are.”
John
O’Donohue says:
At
its heart, the journey of each life is a pilgrimage, through unforeseen sacred
places that enlarge and enrich the soul.
(repeat)
Taking
time to unplug from my day-to-day rodent wheel of endless housekeeping, errands
and the many distractions I can dream up feels like a major luxury. I am looking forward to just putting
one foot in front of the other as I walk this journey.
I’ve
been wondering lately what is it that keeps us moving forward on our
paths? I thought of the obvious
things like love, connection, hope and eagerness for the future. Paulo Coelho, in The Pilgrimage, says it’s by honoring our dreams and being open to
divine love that keeps us moving.
I take this to mean that we need to create our own lives by following
our dreams and provide opportunities for our souls to be enlarged and enriched
no matter what path we are on. We
can all deepen our journey and I think as UUs we actually want to.
My
friend, Diana, invited me to go on this journey that has been calling her for
over 10 years. She supported my
calling to trek in the Himalayas in Nepal about 15 years ago. Even though we were younger and didn’t
have to carry everything, we made it under much harsher conditions: sleeping on
the ground every night and climbing to almost 18,000 feet.
This
journey now calls me as well and I
am excited to have the opportunity
to take time out from “life as usual” and embark into the unknown. I have several intentions for the trip:
1 –
to pare back my need for “things”
2-
to be present to my experience
3-
to enjoy the whole journey
4 –
to be grateful for whatever shows up
To
elaborate on my first intention, to pare back my need for “things”, this pack
and fanny pack will be my home for 6 and a-half weeks. Fifteen pounds. I am looking forward to carrying
everything I need on my back like a turtle. I think we all have more than we actually need and I’m
interested in discovering for myself what is really necessary to be
comfortable.
Let
me assure you that we will be staying in pilgrims hostels and perhaps an
occasional hotel and will be taking our meals in cafes along the way, so it’s
not like walking the Appalachian Trail where you have to carry everything. My packing list includes 2 pairs of
pants, 2 shirts, underwear, long underwear for sleeping, socks, hiking boots,
sandals, sunscreen, several hats, a down sweater, rain gear and a few
toiletries and of course, earplugs.
Oh yes, the iPad mini – I
guess I can’t go completely unplugged!
I justify it for the blog I’m intending to write.
We
expect our days to start early so we can walk in the cool of the morning – our
target is 12-15 miles a day - to stop for a mid morning meal and walk until the
hostels open about 1 in the afternoon.
We’d snag our bed for the night (what I understand is that the hostels
can have from 2 to 50 people in a room!).
We would take showers, change clothes and do laundry for the day and
after the chores, time for sight seeing, journaling and eating.
My
second intention is to be as fully present as possible. There is nothing like travel to waken
up one’s senses. Being a
“planner”, I am glad that I can’t plan where we will have lunch or dinner,
where we will stop for the night or what we might want to do when we do
stop. Each day and experience will
have a newness, which will force me to be fully present in the now.
The
pilgrimage to Santiago has gotten popular in recent years and a variety of
people of all ages make the trek from all over the world. We will be in close quarters with
little privacy, and I am sure there will be opportunities to befriend and learn
from whatever irritates me. I also expect there will be many delights as well. I want to be open to grace and everyday
magic the universe provides.
As
Kabat-Zinn says:
“Mindfulness
practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present; inviting
ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention
to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and
equanimity right here and right now.”
My third
intention is to usher in what I’m calling my “Age of Delight”**, a period in my
life that I choose to do things because they delight me, not because I’m living
up to someone else’s expectations or have a role to play. I intend to enjoy the whole trip. I want to remember that although we
have a goal to reach Santiago, at least to make the plane back, it is not a
race. There is no need to be the
fastest walker of the day, to get the bed closest to the bathroom, or succumb
to tallying up daily aches and pains.
Blisters are one of the most common ailments of modern day pilgrims with
sore knees and sore muscles following close behind. I think these afflictions will be with us, but I hope to
receive them with gratitude because they may slow me down a little.
As
on the path of life, people come and go.
We find some who may be going at our pace and we see them more
frequently and strike up a connection, others may come in with an intense burst
of energy and then are gone, still others make up the crowd scenes in our
lives. I expect the Camino to be no
different, and with diversity of people, nationalities and languages, I know
being in a new stew of humanity will be delightful.
I
am also taking an attitude of gratitude.
I am so thankful that I have the time, resources and physical ability to
make this pilgrimage. I know there
will be many people, places and experiences that I will be grateful for along
the way.
According
to the encyclopedia Britannica, pilgrimage is defined as 1) a journey to a
sacred place or shrine and 2) as a long journey or search, especially one of
exalted purpose or moral significance.
With this second definition, all of us in the room are pilgrims because
we’re all on our own journey through a free and responsible search for truth
and meaning.
Buddhist
and Hindu temples, Christian churches and cathedrals, Jewish synagogues, Ayres
Rock as well as other places on the earth like a pine grove cathedral in
Fairmount park have felt sacred to me.
I don’t feel a draw to Santiago because of St James’ relics there. I
feel drawn to this pilgrimage for the opportunity to see the sacred in
everything. I want to remain open to grace and beauty as Bernadette reminded us
in her reflection this morning, and to allow everyday magic to appear. By this, I mean to surrender as much as
I can and receive from the source of
love and beauty in the universe.
To
do this will take practice.
Many
of us have practices such as prayer, meditation, journaling, mindfully washing
dishes, creating works of art, reading poetry, doing yoga or tai chi, chanting,
communing with nature, watching light, gardening or reciting mantras among a
long list of practices identified on the UUA website. I will also engage in practices, some that I currently make
time for and some that are new for this pilgrimage like the breathing beads a
friend gave me yesterday.
I
am looking forward to the daily walking meditation. I will be praying through my whole body as my feet touch the
ground. I am sure that some days I
will hold certain people and situations in my prayers. As in Nepal, I will have a quality from
the Angel Cards to reflect on each day.
I am working on memorizing a poem and have recorded others to listen to.
I also know that a good sense of humor, positive-self-talk and exquisite
self-care will carry me far.
This
pilgrimage does feel like a challenge on all levels. At a physical level, I’ve had problems recently with my hip,
a knee and most critically my left foot.
In the last two months I’ve rid myself of a very painful planters wart
and got a cortisone shot to manage inflammation at the base of my toes, which
seems to have helped. An Ayreuvedic
doctor has shown me how to massage specific pressure points and apply oil to my
feet before I go to bed. This is a
new practice to honor my feet that are taking me on this long journey.
In the
words of Joy Mead:
“Blessed
be our feet that feel the beat at the heart of life.”
Emotionally,
like many people, I do have some remorse, repentance and a lot of doubts and
questions. On the highest point of
the Camino is La Cruz de Ferro – the iron cross- where most pilgrims leave a
stone symbolizing what they want to release. I have my stone from this community that I’m taking to leave
there. As I walk to La Cruz de
Ferro, I will infuse it with what I want to leave behind.
I
have some trepidation, but mostly excitement. I intend to completely surrender to the journey, not only on
the Camino, but my life’s journey.
I am coming back and I am sure you will hear highlights of the
experience in future reflections.
I am so grateful for this opportunity to share my adventure with you and
to feel the love and support of this community.
As
I mentioned earlier, we are all on our own journeys and we all have our practices
and tools that help us connect with that deep grounding inside of us and that
allows us to be open to grace and the magnificence of our lives and the
universe.
Although
you won’t be physically walking or sleeping beside me, you will be with me along
the Camino and you will also be on your own paths, so I wish you from one
pilgrim to another: Bueno Camino!
I’d
like to leave you with The Pilgrim Prayer by Joyce Rupp that some pilgrims
recite daily on their walk:
Guardian
of my soul,
Guide
me on my way this day.
Keep
me safe from harm.
Deepen
my relationship with you,
Your
Earth, and all your family.
Strengthen
your love within me
That
I may be a presence of your peace
In
our world.
Amen,
Blessed Be, May it be So
References:
Paolo
Coelho, The Pilgrimage
Jon
Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life.
Joyce
Rupp, Walk in a Relaxed Manned: Life Lessons from the Camino
Kerkeling,
Hape, I’m Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino
de Santiago
**
Thanks, Bernajean Porter
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