Rev. Donna Vande Kieft
In October I made a personal pilgrimage from Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Spain (St. James is revered by pilgrims from around the world at the cathedral in Santiago). There were 13 of us who attempted to walk the 125-mile pilgrimage in 10 days. We had a guide, a bus driver, someone to transport our luggage to hotels where we enjoyed lovely dinners every evening and a good night’s rest in a real bed. Definitely the way for older pilgrims to make the trek!
There was diversity in our group—single, married, widowed, gay, straight, different political/religious views, youngish, older, middle-aged, black, white, Hispanic, Filipino, Australian, French, and American. We all came with our personal stories and walked with various intentions identified on the first night of meeting each other—connection, renewal, passion, acceptance, change, humility, joy, gratitude, life, letting go, love, inner strength, and inner peace.
Since we were walking the Way of St. James, I chose to reflect on the Book of James from the Christian Scriptures. In true pilgrim spirit, James begins with the words, “Count it all joy when you encounter various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be complete, lacking in nothing.” Really, James, count it all joy when we got lost and walked two extra miles on our 12-mile day, much of it uphill! And our feet hurt! Joy when it rained and we were soaked for most of the day! Joy when fellow pilgrims were annoying, some of them faster walkers, two of them verbose with strong opinions and ADHD. Lacking in nothing?! I suck at endurance!
James also says things like, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger … and be doers of the word, not merely hearers. Faith without works is dead.” James maintains that without works and good deeds, your faith talk is meaningless. He warns his readers about how they use their tongues, that words can be damaging and our tongues need to be tamed, much like we put bits in horses’ mouths to guide them. Oh, the unbridled words we speak! And, he says that “wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” James has high standards!
During our time on pilgrimage, people in the states were making pilgrimages to rallies and to the polls. Votes were cast and winners named. Count it all joy when half the country is celebrating, and half the country is mourning? James tells his readers to “draw near to God, cleanse your hands and hearts, lament, mourn and weep. Do not speak evil against one another. Be patient in suffering and pray in faith.” These words are for all of us regardless of what is happening because we are all pilgrims, and life is a pilgrimage. Buen Camino! (Good Walk!)