Lessons from the Camino #1 - Pack Light

One of the first lessons I learned during my first time on the Camino de Santiago was that many pilgrims carry with them a romanticized view of the journey. Preparing meant packing and packing meant bringing the “right stuff”, the right shoes, the right backpack, the right hat, etc. And while there are solid recommendations we should heed from those who have made the journey before us we shouldn’t fall into the trap of believing that there is only way to equip ourselves for this pilgrimage. 

I had watched the movie “The Way”. I had seen pictures of pilgrims carrying heavy packs with what seemed like their whole life on their backs. It put the idea into my mind that this is the way pilgrims pack, this is what a pilgrim needs to make the journey. That first walk was challenging but it taught me a great deal about the energy needed to make both our physical and spiritual journeys through life. A big pack looks good for the camera but on mile 15 your legs are wishing you could just drop it and keep moving. 

This second time on the Camino I committed myself to carrying less. I would carry one jacket that would protect me from the rain and the cold. I would bring a water bottle that carried enough water for the walk from one town to the next. And instead of a full pack I would wear a simple sling that held smaller items. This plan isn’t for everyone and your experience may vary but this was my commitment to walking light. 

And it worked. Thanks be to God!

Letting go of the romanticized version of what it means to be a pilgrim helped me to see and live into how God was calling me to walk. Others in the group had their own plan and that was ok. This was going to be my plan and my experience. At the end of the day’s walk I still had some energy left. My neck and back weren’t screaming for help. 

Spiritually, it’s tempting to listen to all the experts about what we need to bring on our vocational journey. Clergy receive a lot of advice and it isn’t always helpful. If I were to add up everything every ministry expert told me to bring along for my ministry I’d need a U-Haul. I think Jesus knew this when he instructed his disciples to bring so little with them. He wanted them to depend on God and on one another instead of the tools they normally would have brought with them.  “Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff…” - Matt 10:9-10).

In our daily walk we should be paying close attention to what we are carrying and what we should be leaving behind. Is this thing I’ve been told to carry absolutely vital? Will it really support me in my walk? Or am I clinging to a romanticized view of my journey?

If all I bring with me in a day is the Word of God in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart, if all I carry is the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit, if all I walk with is a single prayer then I am equipped. I will need other things. But they won’t be the main thing. As you live into your daily walk as a Christian and in your vocation as a servant of God (priest, deacon, lay leader, etc), I encourage you to pay close attention to what you have been carrying. How have you been equipped in your ministry and has it benefited you? It might be time to try a new way of carrying the ministry which has been entrusted to you. But always keep Christ and his example at the center of your planning. Listen to those who have walked endless miles and not grown tired. After almost 11 years of serving as a priest of the Church I am still listening to what Christ is telling me to carry and let go and seeking mentors who can help me avoid the pitfalls, broken backs, and blisters. 

"If all I bring with me in a day is the Word of God in my mind, on my lips, and in my heart, if all I carry is the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit, if all I walk with is a single prayer then I am equipped."

May you meet the Risen Lord in your journeys.