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”
Tag Archives: religious writing
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 is searching: Reflections at 400 miles
As I cross the 400-mile mark, I’ve been reflecting on Idle’s idea that on a pilgrimage one is searching. Certainly, the Three Magi were searching for the baby Jesus. What are other people searching for as they walk the Camino? One of the surprising aspects of walking the Camino has been the number of youngContinue reading “One is searching: Reflections at 400 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”
In Pursuit of the Three Magi
Greetings from St. Jean Pied de Port in France. Tomorrow morning, I set out walking the Camino de Santiago. Over the last several months, I’ve had occasion to think about what it is to be a pilgrim. The first pilgrims in the Christian tradition were probably the three Wisemen, or Magi, who traveled to visitContinue reading “In Pursuit of the Three Magi”
Walking and Pilgrimage
Not far from where we stayed in Crete this summer, approximately 50 footprints were found in soft calcite clay sediment. The rock was dated by examining microfossils in surrounding rocks to 6.05 million years ago, at the start of the Messinian Age. The scattered footprints are believed to have been made by a close relativeContinue reading “Walking and Pilgrimage”
The Scallop Shell
Many pilgrims on the Camino tie a scallop shell to their backpacks or on the laces of their boots. The scallop shell is also used to mark the route one is meant to walk on the way to Santiago de Compostela. So, what’s the deal with that? The association of St. James with scallops takes usContinue reading “The Scallop Shell”
Who was St. James?
As I prepare for my Camino, it occurs to me that I should learn a little about St. James the Great whose relics are believed to buried at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. 500 miles is a long way to walk without knowing anything about the person who has inspired millions to make a pilgrimage toContinue reading “Who was St. James?”
Walking the Camino for Lasting Change
The board of Episcopal Relief & Development has generously granted me a sabbatical this fall. As I was thinking about what I wanted to use the time for, I decided that I had a couple of goals for my sabbatical.
Rob's Reflections 