Hi Honey I’m Home

“Hi honey I’m home,” said many suburban husbands long ago.  But in my case, I am back in North America after three weeks in Europe, falling sleep at 830 and waking up at 3 AM because – jet lag.

Yes, I was back on the path, resuming my gradual walk from Canterbury to Rome.  And somewhat like the famously bad joke about flying in from Las Vegas, “boy are my legs tired.”

Did you Have Fun?

People ask that question a lot when I get back.  Or before leaving they say something like, “Have fun,” or “I hope you have fun.”  Honestly, I am not sure how to answer that.  Would you like to know why?

Fun Is Not the Point

The pilgrim needs the path.  It is a spiritual gymnasium.  And like those who go to the gym (and I am as devoted to my local YMCA as to the pilgrim path) we do it because we are better for it.  The actual doing can be hard, tedious, tiring, even painful.  Momentary struggles, though, are just that momentary.  Because, like an athlete, over time we become stronger and healthier.

Learning is the Point

In the gym, your body learns its limits and its possibilities.  On the pilgrim path, your soul learns its limits and its possibilities.  Most of the time that comes from the difficulties.  They are also where the best stories, and the best memories come from.   I had a few this time.  Expect to read about them.

One thing to keep in mind is that spiritual growth is not about being better at your religion.  It is about being better at being alive.  Though the translation is poor, that quote from Iranaeus (For the glory of God is the living man) has something to it.  Being fully alive means present to yourself in all its facets, the tough ones as well.  That will be the subject of my next post.

By the time I was on the plane home I knew it was enough.  As gym rats know, the growing comes not from the workout but from the recovery.  The same is true for the pilgrim.  Spiritual growth and strength come after the walk.  For now, I am glad to say…

Hi Honey I’m Home!

Clothes are in hamper, my daily diary added to the rest of the year.  Over 100 pages it ran.  It is not quite sunrise, and the demands of this ordinary day are knocking on my door.  Be patient, friends.  Spiritual growth, like my tomato plant, follows its own clock.