Since 861, people in search of God have walked the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James). As the years passed, one particular psalm became known as the Pilgrim’s Psalm:
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber or sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.
psalm 121
You can see why these verses might sink into the heart of a pilgrim, a person walking mile after mile towards an unknown place.
This week my wife and I and a group of friends embark on the Camino de Santiago. Although we established our walking route long ago, none of us know quite where the Lord might take us during our journey.
And that’s the way of the pilgrim.
Camino de Santiago 2021
Photo by Beth, a friend and past pilgrim
Dave! Love your thoughts on the Camino. I just finished walking the Via Francigena through Tuscany. A pilgrim named Giovanni who has walked the whole 2200 kilometers three times looked me intensely in the eyes the first day and asked, “Come fai il Camino?” (How are you making/doing the Camino) not being quite sure what he meant I answered , “ with my legs? “ he said , “No, il Camino si da dentro) “ basically your legs carry you but you the Camino happens inside of you. That’s why two people can walk side by side along the Camino and both wind up in different places. Buon Camino!
Thanks Shandra! And Buen Camino as well!