Day 16 on the Camino Way

Helping Hands for Hurting Feet

This sweet young Spanish woman was hurting. You could tell by the way she was walking. We walked past her with a ”Buen Camino,” which is the repeated greeting when you pass someone. It means something like ”Good Way”—but the intent is to say ”Have a good way.” She was not having a good way.

After walking past her I was bothered. She was hurting and we walked right on by. I have this theory about the workings of the Holy Spirit. I think that she works subtly with needling kind of urges. And that’s what I felt. But we didn’t stop until I needed to heed nature’s call.

Second Chance

And she walked by us. It’s wasn’t long before we caught up with her again. As I said she was hurting and moving very slowly. As we walked behind her we saw her stop several times to try and adjust her feet. She had blisters and we could help. So I chased her down.

She was in a lot of pain. We gave her what we had in our first aid kit, plus the magic fixer of sore feet—hiker’s wool.

This stuff works. We can attest to the wonder of this stuff. And if you ask the VanDyk sisters they will sing it’s praises as well. We gave her enough to get her into town, fortunately she was close, and then plenty more for the next few days.

Good Samaritan 101

I love telling you this story, but I worry too. In my preaching days I did way too much talking about myself—making myself look good. Preachers do that. We want you to think well of us. It’s an ego thing, yes, but also an insecurity matter. We’re not always sure we measure up, so we put our thumb on the scale—so to speak. Does that analogy even work?

I think about Joseph after finding out that Mary was pregnant. I wonder who told him. Was it Mary? What was that conversation like? Regardless, the Bible says that Joseph, being a righteous man, planned to send her away quietly. And we make a lot about that—about Joseph being righteous. Joseph did the right thing. That’s what righteousness is—doing the right thing. And that’s not noteworthy, not really. Or is it?

There are so many acts of kindness on this path. Sally and I have experienced several such gifts, and not just from our friends. People doing the right thing for other people—that happens out here. And it happens everywhere, I think. We should note them, if only to ourselves. Because maybe they are noteworthy after all.

Gabriel and Mary

Today, I found this painting in a wonderful church along the way. The value in icons is that they are said to be written, not painted or drawn. The artist is trying to say something, express an idea through images. And being a picture guy, this works for me. The artist trusts the viewer to think about what he’s communicating—to enter into the work of art.

No matter what you believe about the Virgin Birth, it’s one of Christianity’s stories and so we think on it some—or at least I do.

So what do I see in this painting of Gabriel announcing to Mary that she is to have a baby? Here, Gabriel is sitting across from a very young Mary. (By the way, I like the very subtle outline of wings behind his shoulders.) As you enter into this artist’s depiction, you see that Gabriel has his left hand on his own heart and it appears to me that he is quietly explaining to Mary what is about to happen.

It’s important to remember that during this period in Jewish history, every young woman hoped to be the one to birth the Messiah. But the conception was to be the natural way of a man and a woman—nothing miraculous about it.

How Could Mary Know?

The beauty of this work of art is not in the painting itself. It’s not very well done. Michelangelo would gag! What stood out for me is the gentleness conveyed here. As you look at this painting, perhaps you can hear the conversation differently than you did before.

“You’re going to have a baby.”

”How is that possible, I’m a virgin.”

“The Holy Spirit is going to overshadow you” — how scary does that sound to you? I would think a 13-14 year-old–girl would be terrified. But Gabriel sits with her and he talks with her—that’s what I hear and see. The Gospel of Luke says Mary is perplexed. Of course she is. How could she understand? How could she possibility agree to this?

I hear and see this story so much differently today, thanks to this obscure bit of art in the middle of almost nowhere. And Mary says, ”Let it be …”

Not Much of a Day Really

We had another easy walking day. Pretty uneventful really. Had dinner with a drunk Dane. That was an experience. I don’t know about all Danes but this one was entertaining. Sally gave him a short lesson on appropriate touch. It involved a young waitress and a fellow female traveller. It really was startling—unsettling. We’re still processing.

We’re coming across a lot of unhealthy people and behavior on this journey. And we’re struggling with what our role is in some of it, to be honest. How do we respond? How do we come alongside some of the more vulnerable people who have become important to us. Maybe I’ll say more on this later. It’s sensitive and I want to think on it a bit more. I’ll just say now that Sally has become important to a couple of the women traveling alone.

It turns out walking the Camino is like living in Holland, Michigan. It seems every day’s a little different then the day before, and some days have more drama in them then others. It’s not all good, certainly not all the time, but it’s not all bad either. And there are people in both places who need a helping hand—so we help. Yeah?

Buen Camino!