Day 14 on the Camino Way

I apologize for the distorted images when you are reading on your smart phones. I don’t know how to fix that, but I have tried.

Whoa That’s … Something

We have a little over 250 miles done and about the same to go. That’s something! The interesting part is that we’re only on day 14 of 35, so that’s something too. But what does it say, exactly? Less miles, but tougher terrain? That’s probably it. The last two days have been relatively easy days for us. Thirteen miles today on smooth roads that were softened by an overnight rain.

But Those Nasty Flies

Is there a creature on earth as hated as the fly? Rats? Okay, I”ll give you rats. But there’s something about flies. If you get a fly in the house you grab the flyswatter and kill that little SOB just as fast as you can. There is absolutely no one who would NOT hurt a fly. These little buggers are straight from hell. I’m not kidding. I have biblical proof—Baal-zebub is the name translated in English as ”Lord of the flies.” And it is also the name given to either Satan or a lesser demon.

Well actually, Baal was the Caananite Lord of almost everything, and “Zebub” is Hebrew for flies—I think. Baal-zebub was the god of Ekron which was a Philistine major city. (I don’t know why I’m talking about this. It’s just that those damn flies are seriously on my mind.)

But I do have this to say about the flies and to the connection to Satan and to today’s hike and to the Bible’s reference to this god: Elijah the Tishbite has no flies on him! (But he could call down fire from heaven, so there’s that.)

I know, none of this makes any sense—I’m tired. And those flies, I swear, if I could I would call down fire from heaven to consume each and every one of them.

Day of Cross Sightings

And that’s honestly only half of them. It’s not like this is unexpected, after all the Way of St James is a spiritual journey first and foremost. Or at least it was at one time. The cross is easily the most recognized symbol for Christianity, even though many would say that the Resurrection is the single most significant act in our tradition. Some might even go further and declare it to be the most important action in human history.

But it is the cross that turns up everywhere and on everything and not just here. Maybe that’s because there is no ready symbol of resurrection—a butterfly just doesn’t cut it like the stark, raw silhouette of an instrument of death. We could see them from a long way out standing tall on the trail. They were like signposts reminding us that we were on a path traversed for centuries by pilgrims seeking something deep and lasting and honest—something that made sense in a world that didn’t. At least I think that’s what they were seeking.

What Are We Seeking

As we walked single file down a narrow dirt path a song caught up to us. We heard it softly at first, then it just kept getting closer and closer. It was this French pair singing in harmony a song that you knew was spiritual even though you didn’t know what it was. They sailed past us and we watched them go with a certain envy, I think. For one thing they could sing in harmony and really, really well. And for another, the flies were there for them too, and they were singing while I was swearing.

Later we caught up with them on the highway into tonight’s little town of Castrojerz. We asked them about the song. ”It’s Christian,” she said in English. ”What was it about?” I asked. He said, ”Song about Jesus, of course, and the cross.”

Of course, it was. What else would a song on the Camino Way be about, right? So whatever it is Sally and I are seeking, and here I can only speak for myself, these two are of part of it. And maybe, although I hate to say it, but just maybe, the flies are a part of it too.

Buen Camino!