Category Archives: Reflections

Gratitude

Dear family and friends, As I depart Spain this morning and return to the hustle and bustle of pre-holiday preparations, I want to take a moment to express my profound gratitude to all of you for joining me on my Camino to Santiago de Compostela.   I am especially grateful to the board of Episcopal ReliefContinue reading “Gratitude”

One is embarking on a strange journey: Reflections after 500 miles (Part Two)

Now that I have completed my Camino and have started to look back on my experience for a few days, I have come to realize that the most important and, in Idle’s words, “strange” part of my journey is just beginning: the journey of reflection. One could fill a small library with books of people’sContinue reading “One is embarking on a strange journey: Reflections after 500 miles (Part Two)”

One will be named: Reflections after 500 miles (Part One)

We walked into Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday afternoon.  500 miles done!   I set out on the Camino with two goals.  First, I wanted to take on the physical challenge of walking 500 miles.  Second, I wanted to raise money for Episcopal Relief & Development’s work with children.  Both of those goals have been achievedContinue reading “One will be named: Reflections after 500 miles (Part One)”

One will be known: Thoughts after 200 miles

Shortly before starting out on my Camino, I had dinner with former colleagues from the Asia Society, where I worked before coming to Episcopal Relief & Development.  It was hard to leave that job and the people I supervised.  I consoled myself with the idea that now that I didn’t have to be their boss anymore, we could beContinue reading “One will be known: Thoughts after 200 miles”

One will be lost: Reflections on the first 100 miles

Between Los Arcos and Logroño, I passed the 100-mile mark on my Camino.  I’m officially at 110.4 miles.  That feels good.  If I can do this much, I think I can do the entire thing.   As I’ve been walking, I’ve thought quite a bit about Christopher Idle’s Epiphany hymn, mentioned in my previous post.  InContinue reading “One will be lost: Reflections on the first 100 miles”

April is the Cruelest Month

The first section of T.S. Eliot’s epic poem, The Waste Land, published in 1922, is entitled, “The Burial of the Dead.” That is the title of the funeral service from the Church of England’s Book of Common Prayer during Eliot’s time as it is the title of the service in The Episcopal Church’s Book ofContinue reading “April is the Cruelest Month”

Prisoners of Hope

It has been almost two weeks since the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic.   I don’t know about you, but that seems like a lifetime ago.  So much has changed so quickly I’m not sure what to feel at any given point.  I woke up a few mornings ago and realized that not knowing what toContinue reading “Prisoners of Hope”

What can penguins teach us?

Prior to my recent trip to Antarctica, I confess that I had not given penguins much consideration.  Not beautiful. Smell bad. Can’t fly.   Really, what was the point of a penguin? Now, however, I have a new appreciation for the penguin. As our ship lay at anchor off Deception Island in the Antarctic Ocean, weContinue reading “What can penguins teach us?”