I Am Not Religious

I find it interesting that many of the people who we have met on the Camino are very quick to reply "I am not religious" when discussing their motivation to walk the Camino - this is before I ever mention that I am a Roman Catholic deacon - to them we are nothing more than an older American couple with time on our hands to kill. From the way they say it - or from the tone in their voices - I perceive that they make that comment for a number of reasons.

 #1 - they are religious - but are afraid that they will be labeled a religious fanatic - and will             be shunned

 #2 - they are Catholic - but not actively practicing the faith - and are afraid of being     
         shunned 
 #3 - they are not Catholic/Christian - but are seekers - looking for the Truth 

 #4 - they know the Truth lies in Jesus Christ - but do not know how to make Him a part of
         their life

 #5 - they have confused religious with spiritual - the two not being exactly the same

Everyone of us has a part of our being that is spiritual - basically - each of us embodies a trinitarian existence - the physical - the intellectual - the spiritual.  Our physical is nurtured by the foods we eat and the games we play - the intellectual is nurtured by the works we read and the problems our minds contemplate - the spiritual is nurtured by religious devotions and the life experiences we encounter. Not all are religious - in the common sense - but all are spiritual - in the lives we lead - in the events we experience - in the peoples we meet - in the places we visit - in the things we hear and do. 

To walk the Camino - is to touch the Divine - in whatever form or shape - one experiences such things - sight - sound - smell - taste - feel. Each person on the Camino is seeking to fulfill that inner part - we call our spiritual side - seeking to fill a void that is not complete - seeking to become whole - to answer  questions - to receive answers. As we seek to fill our spiritual side - we do so - by religiously walking day after day to Santiago.

            The Yellow Arrow That Calls Us To Walk Our Personal Journey Day After Day

                                       

                                                Way Side Cross Sharing Faith

                                    Promoting Devotion To Saint Gianna Molla

                                                      Spirituality of Being

                                                     Distant Reminder Of Faith 

                                            Order Amongst The Ordinary

                                                       90 Kilometers To Go

                                  Modern Bridge Next To Ancient Roman Road

                                                             Portomarin

                                                           Rio Mino

                                                    Former River Valley

                                        

                                                          Roman Stairway

                                        

                                Stairway - Part of Old Roan Road - Only 46 Stairs Up

                                         

                                       And 12 More Steps Plus a Climb Up To Street Level

                                                            House at Top of Hill

                                                    Walking To Village Square

       Copy of Original - Original Buried Under 40 Feet of Water When New Dam Was Built 

                                                

                                                Pilgrim Statue in Square To Honor Peregrinos

                                                             Church With Two Names

                                             

                                              Cross Seen In Many Towns and Villages

                                           Peregrinos Checking Into Albergue

                                                           Spanish  Townhouse

                                                     Afternoon Vino and Tapas

Today we had an easy walk of about 12 kilometers with gentle upward hills and a lot of flat lands - tomorrow - more uphills.

Buen Camino

Dale and Arlene