Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage Psalms 119:54
As someone who has been tethered to computers and the Internet for many years doing my online teaching and consulting work, I have come to realize the need to create a balance between the connected self and disconnected self.
To achieve that goal, I spent five days in July 2012, not teaching or consulting, not in a car, nor with a computer, but rather walking the last 115 kilometers of the Camino Frances pilgrimage route across northern Spain (mostly in the mountains of Galicia).
My goal was more than to simply get untethered, I sought to walk in the path of the apostle St. James (Yacob in transliterated Hebrew and Santiago in Spanish) who walked in the footsteps of Jesus as one of his disciples. The Camino Frances traces his apostolic path, but in the direction toward his resting place in Santiago De Compostela in the true spirit of pilgrimage.
Crossing mountain ridges made it an arduous journey, but in my prayerful approach and in the sharing of that with other pilgrims, it was a rewarding pilgrimage. What made walking more than 8 hours per day for 5 days possible was not my training or equipment, but the spirit that endows when the words “Para Dios” (For God) guides your steps. Those are the words that I received in answer to my question of two Spanish pilgrims on a previous visit to the Camino when I asked why they go on this pilgrimage.
Although my pilgrimage was completed, while still resting my heels (and knees;-) I made plans to walk the last 117 kilometers of the Camino Portugues from the border of Spain and Portugal at Tui this time northward, but to the same destination, Santiago de Compostela – arriving on the feast day of the apostle, whose remains are kept behind the altar in the Cathedral.
https://followinginthefootsteps.orgfollowing-in-the-footsteps-on-the-camino/
Click on the play arrow in the video frame below to view a brief video I took one morning on the Camino at Palas de Rei, Spain in the mountains of Galicia where I stayed in a cabin overnight (listen for the German pilgrims singing as they began their walk that day).
Upon my return to work, my immersion in technology remains firmly entrenched, but I am finding the needed balance between being tethered and untethered from it – and using technology in this blog to raise the name of Jesus above all names.
I hope that you will find ways to balance your immersion in technology with the rewards of getting “untethered” and reflecting on our wider connection with life, each other, and a prayerful walk following in the footsteps of Jesus.
Buen Camino!
Pilgrim Paul
Congratulations on completing your Camino journeys and leaving an example for the rest of us to follow. I have been wanting to walk the Camino for about 3 years now since my next door neighbors went. Thus far, time and circumstances have not allowed it, but after I graduate, it is high on my list to walk the entire length.
Warm Regards,
Hank Nachtsheim
Thank you Henry for sharing your interest in walking the Camino. If you walk in pilgrimage in the footsteps of Santiago (i.e., Saint Iacob aka Jacob the brother of John and the first to preach the Gospel to the end of the known world and the first to be martyred on his return), then you should walk in his direct path from Tui to Santiago de Compostela along the Camino Portugues or in the opposite direction of his return along the northern part of Spain by walking from Sarria to Santiago de Compostela. Both of these walks are long enough (min 100km or 62 miles) to receive a Compostela certificate upon completion of your walk by “collecting the stamps on the “Credencial del Peregrino” from the places you pass through to certify that you have been there” – https://oficinadelperegrino.com/en/pilgrimage/the-compostela/ Once having done that within a week of walking and you have at least 5 weeks available for walking, you can consider the entire Camino Frances – a distance of 780 km or about 500 Miles from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port over the French border to Santiago de Compostela. You will need to prepare by walking each day and getting the right light weight walking shoes, backpack, etc. from sports equipment stores like REI, many of whom work there have walked the Camino. Wishing you a Buen Camino (good way)!