Discussing Orthodox Faith: Playing to our Strengths

 

Originally posted on CopticNN

I am going to start this piece by saying something crazy, I am Orthodox because it is truth. I am not Orthodox because it is fun, I am not Orthodox because it is convenient, and I am not Orthodox because it suits my lifestyle. I am simply an Orthodox Christian because it is the fullness of the faith, found inside the living and apostolic Church as guided by the Holy Spirit. This is the greatest strength of the Church and the greatest weapon of the Church when confronting challenges in expressing the faith to others.

For many Christians around the world the expressing of faith to others is done through adapting the worship or making changes in expression to accommodate for a change in the audience, seeing many traditions as being outmodes or subjective, Though as mentioned in our previous article, this can often serve to only weaken to the resolve of someone seeking the faith as they would see it undervalued by those inside. In the same manner that one would not destroy or vandalise a priceless artifact, we would not dismantle or undermine the traditions passed down if we see them as apostolic or given through Christ himself to the world. This leads us to the question of the value of the faith’s apostolicity and historical significance in dialogues regarding faith and how these are indeed the greatest tools in the arsenal of the evangelist in the postmodern religious landscape.

Firstly if we speak of the historicity of the Church, we are speaking of its role in the history of Christianity from the life of Christ to today. This is something that many Christian communities cannot address, having their origins in schisms and splits from other communities or from the Church itself, since it is difficult to justify one’s belief as Christianity in the most traditional sense when ones founder rejected this faith. In the same manner many religions have strayed so far from their own historical origins that they are almost meaningless as an historical faith, such as western Buddhism which many see as an ‘alternative lifestyle,’ rejecting many of the foundational or traditional praxis or ethics for the sake of promoting itself to the new-age movement in the western world.

However this places Orthodox Christianity in a unique position, keeping its origins clear and its historical values and faith close to it. In this manner it is a beacon and living expression of the faith of the early Church, something many seek in this world of replicas and individualism, something I myself was drawn to. The historical veracity and continuance of apostolic tradition is a vital aspect of the Church in the world today as this is spoken of as vital in scripture. St Paul teaching in 2Thess 2:15, “stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.” For many this simply means the words given in scripture, however from an orthodox perspective this can apply to the praxis, ethics and doctrines given by the fathers alongside scripture and its interpretation, allowing Orthodoxy to breathe in the world as a living expression of the faith of the Apostles themselves. In this way, Orthodoxy appears to those who seek the living expression of this faith.

In a similar manner the Apostolicity of the faith itself is important when expressing the Orthodox faith to others. If one is seeking the faith of the apostles they will seek the faith which accords with the faith taught by the Early Church, in this way they will be drawn to Orthodoxy. The English Catholic Saint John Henry Newman stated, “To Be Deep in History Is to Cease to Be Protestant,” and he was right in this. To discover the aspects of faith which were expressed in the Church at the time of the Nicene fathers and not find them in ones own Church or amongst those Christians visible in your life can be devastating to ones faith, in the same manner that one would feel ashamed to discover their parents had deceived them regarding their identity. In this manner, Orthodoxy is unique in not having this crisis of identity amongst Christians today.

In this same way, Orthodox Christianity can be seen as amongst only a few faiths which has not liberalised or culturally warped its doctrines. If we are to compare it to examples in Judaism, where we see the destruction of the temple and emergence of rabbinical Judaism then later the rise of the Chassidic movements, we see a gradual shift from anything resembling the Jewish faith two thousand years ago. In the same manner Islam has failed to be able to express its faith in the modern world in the opposite sense, enforcing doctrine without justification, which is again against its own historical praxis of incorporating Hellenic philosophy as seen in places such as early Baghdad and Damascus. Both of these serve as examples of how Orthodoxy has been able to present itself as a doctrinally, and in its ethos, the living Church of the apostles, a vital point of emphasis for one explaining why Christianity is a historical and Apostolic Faith.

So what is the message here? It is a simple one. Do not see the Church’s history as a burden or something which cannot be a point of value. Many seeking the Church today will find solace in its historical viability and clear representation of the apostolic faith as proof of its heritage in a religious marketplace fully of diverse yet unrooted traditions. As Christ himself Said of the faith of his Apostles, “on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” In the same way we must say that on the rock of the faith of the Apostles we must found our own evangelism, and if we do this then the gates of hell can never prevail over our work. 

Discussing Orthodox Faith: Audience and the dangers of pre-packed evangelism

 

Originally posted on CopticNN

Someone I often notice when speaking of my personal journey to the Orthodox faith is that people do not hear what they expect to. A number of years ago I attended a converts group and explained how I came to faith through philosophical enquiry and was told, “we don’t want to hear about philosophy, when did you open your heart to Jesus?” Needless to say, I didn’t attend the group again. However, this incident raises an interesting challenge regarding the expression of our faith to others, and that is the risk of alienating them through not speaking to their need.

In my own secular life, I work as a teacher, and the question of differentiation comes up often in my planning. We are trained to ask, ‘what level are you teaching to?’ and ‘How does the lesson link to prior learning?’ In the same manner, we need to ask the same question when speaking about our faith or trying to present it in a manner which would be meaningful to others. After all, what benefit is it to speak of the marvel the crucifixion to someone who hasn’t come to terms with the concept of the salvation it brought. Similarly, we would not spend the majority of our energies convincing a well-studied catholic enquirer of the importance of the fathers or apostolic succession. Therefore, we need to step away from the presumption that a ‘pre-packed’ view on evangelism or the position that all come to Christ in the same way,

Let us take two examples and compare these. Imagine that you have a visitor to your parish who has come from a Pentecostal background and left due to a family issue, they would be seeking to find community and a church which can provide comfort. They may also face difficulties in areas such as the veneration of the Saints, or the use of Icons in the Church. This means that anyone helping with their catechesis will need to adapt their approach to these specific needs through themselves having a comforting approach and a depth of understanding of these issues. In a similar way, if there were to be someone coming from a non-religious background and seeking to become Orthodox following some personal epiphany regarding the faith. This person may have background in addressing philosophical questions and need their entire understanding rebuilt from the ground up and need to address tough questions on theological challenges such as the nature of God. Similarly approaches may differ based on someone’s prior theological education or their own prayer life, both of which impact the approach the Church should take when introducing someone into the Church and catering for their development.

As both of these examples show, the view that someone’s spiritual and catechetical development can be presumed is an absurd one and one which the Church needs to address, otherwise we risk falling into the common danger of ‘prepacked evangelism’ which we see often amongst some communities who will take a generic and often impersonal approach to their introduction of the faith to others. This is also something we often see in our own communities where an enquirer whose needs or questions are not answered will be blamed if they do not attend again or lose their way in their journey of faith. However if we are to take an intelligent approach to this challenge it can be solved by looking to the example of Christ in his interactions with people of differing backgrounds and foundations in their faith.

In John 4 we see Christ’s interaction with the Samaritan woman, in which he refers to her concerns over the Jewish/Samaritan schism in a manner which gives us pause to think. When she asks, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (John 4:9) due to views on ritual purity he responds by pointing out, ““If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10). In this manner he addresses her concern though raising his divinity, leading to a discussion on his teachings and the nature of salvation. Following this he calls her to him through speaking of the end of this schism through the person of Christ, stating, “a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (Jhn 4:21). In doing this there is no dismissal of either her previous views nor a vindication, but a catering to the discussion she needed for her salvation. Applying this to the modern challenge in evangelism in a multi-faith society, we need to ask “what is their prior understanding? What needs to be stripped away, and what can be built on?” In this manner we can both take down any misconceptions and build up and need for development based on the manner of someone’s prior learning.

In its missionary and evangelism work, the Coptic Church has made strives in its approach to bringing faith to other communities and growing in the multi-faith and often postmodernist world, however without ensuring that the evangelism that appears is catered to the recognition that diversity is not simply intercommunal but also intracommunal it is bound to hit a brick wall. If we cannot speak to the individual and their own experience in our attempts to bring others into the Church, we will struggle to bring anyone into the Church. In the same manner, if we cannot cater to the individual needs of the person coming into the Church, we should not be surprised if they seek it elsewhere.    

Discussing Faith: Culture, language, and the modern Areopagus.

 

Originally published on CopticNN

As Orthodox Christians, we often bemoan the state of our missionary work in countries unreached by the faith, however these efforts have been growing recently, with missions and parishes emerging in the far-east, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America.  Recently I had the blessing to speak with a missionary association in Cairo, discussing the challenges facing those travelling around the world to share their faith, and how to counter these. One of the biggest challenges discussed was regarding cultural dialogue and the challenges of expressing the Christian faith in communities where even the most basic Christian theological terminologies were not a part of the vernacular.

Though this may sound like an obscurity, when we look at prevailing theologies outside of those areas occupied by Abrahamic faiths, we see the challenge facing those whose role it is to express our apostolic faith to others; it is often seen as being incompatible, at a theological level, with the local culture. Because of this It becomes the role of the missionary to develop a theological dialogue between themselves and an audience who have no shared concepts or vocabulary to base their discussion on.

Let us look at an example. Imagine an orthodox missionary were to travel to rural Mongolia, armed with a collection of materials and a fluent understanding of the local language. They would have the capacity to explain their belief but not to translate these in a sense that would permeate in a culture whose religious literacy is tied up largely in Buddhism and native shamanism. The challenge would no longer be one of how to begin a discussion but of how the discussion can be understood accurately and in a meaningful way. Even concepts which we largely take for granted in discussions, such as the concept of a personal (relatable in some sense) God, may become far more difficult to express to someone whose concept of God is impersonal or whose faith is traditionally deistic. In the same manner we would be required to address concepts far beyond this such as trinity, incarnation and eschatology, without risking falling into creating our own theologies or misrepresenting them.

The western Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein discussed this challenge in his theory of Language Games. He implied that the vast majority of philosophical disagreement is grounded in the differences in use of terminology and that, “Philosophical issues arise when language goes on holiday.” To get by this issue one would be expected to understand the rules and terminology regarding discussing that subject, like someone would be expected to understand and play by the rules of chess when in a game of chess. In the same manner, if someone were to engage in a theological discussion with someone whose only understanding of religion comes from non-theistic or deistic traditions they would be expected to discuss things in a way that would be meaningful to their audience, otherwise the discussion would be fruitless. This is exactly the challenge faced by missionaries, not the ability to discuss faith, but to have it understood in a meaningful way.

This dilemma may imply that I feel missionary work in such cultures is futile, however I for one relish the existence of this challenge and recognise it as having been one which the Church (both our Oriental Orthodox, and the Eastern Orthodox) have had to face in the past and have done so before. In the case of the Eastern Orthodox we have examples such as Cyril and Methodius who literally developed a new alphabet to allow Slavonic communities to read the Gospel. However, the greatest example can be seen in Acts 17, where St. Paul discusses the faith with Greek philosophers, applying their own terminologies and sentiments to demonstrate the nature of God, bringing many to the faith.

St. Paul’s Areopagus sermon is the perfect example of knowing your audience and their culture, allowing St Paul to engage fully in their discussions and bring them to the understanding of the faith. If we break this sermon down, we will see this in its entirety. St Paul begins by discussing their forms of worship and beliefs through the inscription to the ‘Unknown God.’ And explains, “the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.” (Acts 17:23) in doing this we see him acknowledge the personal nature of their previous theology and apply it to his words regarding the Christian faith. Following on from this, he explains to them the errors of applying their worship to this theology, using the shared belief regarding the nature of God as his basis, allowing understanding and agreement. We also, in this instance, see an area where there is no shared basis, when we are told, “when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.” (Acts 17:32). However in this instance, many seem to wish to continue to hear and understand, thus giving St. Paul his opportunity to continue to share based on his willingness to reference their beliefs and use them to explain the Christian faith and its truth.

With the example of St. Paul in the Areopagus, we see both the challenges and rewards which missionaries can face when expressing the faith to others. By using and referencing the ‘Unknown God’ and how He is known through Christ, St. Paul was able to win many to the faith, however he also recognised the challenge of expressing belief in an afterlife to those who do not recognise the post-mortem existence. It is in matters such as these that the modern missionary will look to establish a shared understanding of language on the nature of body, soul and spirit where available. However, topics of eschatology remain something of a challenge to express even to those within the Church at times.

Overall, the challenge of filtering the truth of our faith through differing cultural contexts is one which the Church faces increasingly as it looks outwards to missions in cultures with no prior understanding or exposure to Abrahamic faith, and especially to Christianity. However, through recognition of the need to work within the bounds and rules of the prior language and cultural or religious landmarks of those we are seeking to bring to Christ, we can break down the language barrier and allow for a more meaningful and thorough dialogue, deepening the love of Christ in those we wish to welcome into his Church. Christ called us to bring all nations to him, this will always seem a daunting task but once the first wall is broken between the Church and those it seeks to welcome, others will seem much smaller.

Tolkien, Meekness and the Christian Message of Hope.

“We must take a hard road, a road unforeseen. There lies our hope, if hope it be.”
Tolkien, Meekness and the Christian Message of Hope.

 The title of this post may be a bit confusing, so before I start I will explain. Having spent the last year agonising over what to write about, I stepped back and decided to get back into reading. One of my favourite genres is ‘High Fantasy’ and specifically the writing of JRR Tolkien, with his blending of his faith, life and interests into his writing. Having recently rekindled my love of his Lord of the Rings series, I was reminded of an important theme, the theme of having hope. Since today also lands on the Birthday of Tolkien, I thought it apt to write this short reflection.

In the Christian faith, we hear of the term hope constantly, with the emphasis on God’s great love for us in the action of the Incarnation. This is expressed well in the First Epistle of Peter, in which we are reminded that God, “was manifest in these last times for you,  who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” However, unlike the traditional concept of the provision of hope in an almighty God, the Christian message of hope goes a step beyond and presents its message of hope through two unimaginable images; his birth and his eventual death. 

Interestingly, in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” this theme of hope promised through the unimagined is often expressed in a way that is highly relatable to Christians today, as it is expressed as coming in the meekest of beings and the darkest of journeys. To me, one of the greatest expressions of this hope is found at the Council of Elrond. For those who have not read the book, this is an event in which the Free peoples of Middle Earth meet to discuss what to do upon discovering the Ring of Power, which is a weapon of pure power and evil, often symbolic of sin or corruption which gives power but ultimately destroys. Because of this, it is decided that the only possibility is to destroy it, by entering the land of Mordor, where the enemy resides. “We must take a hard road, a road unforeseen. There lies our hope, if hope it be. To walk into peril – to Mordor. We must send the Ring to the Fire.” In this we already see the resemblance to the Christian concept of Christ’s death and resurrection. 

In both cases, hope is found in the darkest of situations through something which we would not usually seek as a form of hope. In the case of Middle Earth it is found in entering the very home of Evil, in the case of our faith it is found in the Death of Christ on the cross. As John Chrysostom stated in his Paschal Sermon, “Let no one fear death, for the Saviour’s death has set us free. He that was held prisoner of it has annihilated it. By descending into Hell, He made Hell captive.”  This expression of faith would seem utterly baffling to one outside of Christianity, however it is in this that we find the core of our faith as a truth. Because of this, the concept of death becomes a promise of eternal life to Christians, as the death of Christ allows us a Salvation which we were promised, in the same manner as those attending the Council of Elrond found their Salvation only through the journey into the lair of their enemy.

The message of such a hope is vital to Christians today, since we are expected to take leaps of faith and take up our struggle in all we do. Christ reminds us in the Gospels, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” This becomes even more prevalent when we witness the dedication to their faith of the many Martyrs of both the Early Church and even today. In this, the realisation of the call to the promise of eternal life becomes a reality and the hope of life after this becomes something to hold onto regardless of circumstance. It is this very fact that makes it so profound. Knowing that our salvation came through Christ’s passion and resurrection gives hope that God is there, and that even in the darkest of times there is a light and that that light is God.

In the same manner, the idea of the Incarnation itself and gift of hope through Jesus Christ was something of a scandal in the ancient world, especially in the manner of his coming; St Athanasius reminds us that, “The Lord did not come to make a display. He came to heal and to teach suffering men.” In this we see that hope came in Christ in the humblest of manners. During this time of advent this message becomes even more prevalent, and we are taught of the nativity of our Lord being born not in a Palace as a King but in a manger where animals feed from. St john Chrysostom expresses this in an emphatic manner in his nativity Sermon, stating, “What shall I say! And how shall I describe this Birth to you? For this wonder fills me with astonishment. The Ancient of Days has become an infant. He Who sits upon the sublime and heavenly Throne, now lies in a manger.” In this we see the scandal of hope coming through the meekest of means.

This theme is again taken up by Tolkien, through his main protagonist who is a Hobbit (Halfling) named Frodo. As all of the races are arguing over who will destroy the ring he volunteers to take up the quest and he expresses his meekness by stating, “'I will take the Ring,' he said, 'though I do not know the way.’ In this we see the reminder of the smallest of beings doing what none other could. This message again is emphasised when it is stated, “such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.” This resonates with the message of the Incarnation, that the lofty and prideful will not seek Salvation in what they perceive as lesser, an attitude which we see throughout the Gospels through the Jewish authorities refusing to accept Christ due to their pride and greed.

This message again is a vital and important practical message for Christians, since God has condescended and became man for us, offering up himself as man that we may come to know him and receive Salvation. St Paul expresses this, stating how he, “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.” This can again link to the message of the Resurrection that he died to defeat death, in the same way he came to us to help us come to him. In living out this in our lives we are given a living example of how to live meekly and in humility. Even beyond this we are offered a promise of Salvation, reminded that the meekest and lowest of us can be the bearer of hope to others.  

Overall, we are offered two key images of hope, neither of which would traditionally inspire in us the idea of a promise of Salvation or Hope. However, we know that it was through the birth of the Child in the Manger and his harrowing Death on the Cross that hope was returned to us with the promise of Salvation.  At this Advent time this is a stunning image and one which is at the centre of our prayers.

To quote Tolkien one more time, “This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great. Who of all the Wise could have foreseen it? Or, if they are wise, why should they expect to know it, until the hour has struck?” Or to put it simply, Hope is found in the most surprising of places but it is always hidden in plain sight.

The Camino de Santiago: My Reflections

Preparation

“The goal is a perfect peacefulness even in the middle of the raging storm.” – St John Climacus.

In the busy modern world, the concept of escaping the world to spend time alone with God is utterly alien. We will often spend twelve hours a day working and barely achieve twenty minutes in prayer to thank God for the things which he has provided for us.  Because of this struggle, this year myself and a close friend decided to take some time this year to restore our ‘spiritual compasses’ and dedicate some time to God through walking the Camino Ingles, one of the less walked northern routes of the Camino De Santiago. 

The Camino De Santiago is the name given to a medieval pilgrimage, originating in the 9^th Century, to the Tomb of St James in Santiago de Compostela. In my case, the route which I walked was the Camino Ingles, which travels 119km between the northern Spanish cities of Ferrol and Santiago de Compostela. This route was originally used by Northern European pilgrims who travelled by sea to Ferrol from England.

After discussing this with His Eminence, Archbishop Angaelos I received his blessing to go on this pilgrimage and following further thought I decided to add an additional motivation to this walk and seek sponsorships for the St Kyrel Trust, a Coptic charity which works to provide for vulnerable youths who lack the means to go to work towards improving their situation. As someone who works in the education system, this charity and its work mean a lot for me, and as someone who has spent a significant part of his life working within the Church I felt the need to work to combine these two and work to promote a charity which cares for both those within the Coptic community and the importance of education and social mobility amongst the youth. To donate to their cause you can use the link provided HERE

With these in mind, I prepared both physically and spiritually for the journey, knowing I would be walking over 20km per day through areas of solitude, meeting very few people apart from in the hotels and hostels we stayed in. This was a difficult thing to prepare for, especially living in a city and a society which values social interaction above all else. One extremely beneficial source of this guidance was HH Pope Kyrillos, whose guidance through his monastic life has guided many young Orthodox Christians to work closer in their relationship with God through both choosing to enter the monasteries or working on their prayer life within their daily life outside of the monastery. Armed with this guidance and an 8kg backpack we started our journey to Ferrol.

Day one: Ferrol to Pontedeume

“And if one were to ask, what road is this? I say that it is the soul of each one of us, and the intelligence which resides there. For by it alone can God be contemplated and perceived." – St John Chrysostom

After a two day drive through France and Spain, stopping off in Loudes overnight, we reached Ferrol. The City itself is a small naval city and is currently struggling with economic issues following the departure of most industries to other parts of the country. After finding the first mile marker, we began our journey to the town on Pontedueme where we would complete the first stage of the walk. The road was a difficult one, especially because of it being the first day of travel. Around half way through the day we reached the town of Fene where we met two more pilgrims at a pilgrim café. This was a great reminder that we were on a journey with others.

Following this meeting, we continued to Pontedeume and travelled through some of the beautiful country lanes of Galicia, across a number of hills and through villages before walking across the Eume and into the town itself. Reaching this first town was a strange experience, since we both celebrated the achievement and realised the immensity of what was to come. After a short break in the town we visited St James (Santiago) Church in the town and headed to our Hotel (Pension). The owners were wonderfully accommodating to our lack of Spanish. The running of this small family run Pension was an interesting reflection of family values, with the whole family helping run the establishment and other family members visiting in the evening to relax together. This is a change from the family life I have experienced in other places where interactions are often short and the presence of the other person is enjoyed less than the motive for the discussion. After rest and a quick breakfast the next day we moved on to our next destination.

Day Two: Pontedeume to Betanzos

"When you see your brother, you see the Lord your God." - Abba Apollo

The journey to Betanzos the next day was a pleasant one, stopping half way in the seaside town of Miño. The journey consisted of mostly forest and countryside which left us with some wonderful views and reminders of the glory of God. One of the most enjoyable moments was during our stop in Miño where we met a man from the USA who was visiting family in Spain and was overjoyed to see English pilgrims on the route.

Following this, we continued to walk through the countryside and found such a welcome as pilgrims that it put other areas of charity to shame, and made us really reflect on our mindset to wards visitors. As we passed through hamlets and small villages we were greeted often with “Buen Camino,” meaning “Good Camino” and found cold boxes containing drinks, attached to donation boxes, for pilgrims to take as they pass in exchange for a small amount of money. Looking back at this, I could never see such a thing working in London as there is not a degree of trust or trustworthiness. In warm days, such a gracious act was extremely appreciated, and I wonder how many other cities or businesses act in this way to the benefit of humanity and impact of such a thing becoming widespread.

On arrival in Betanzos we visited the main Church in the city and had the blessing to attend the pilgrims mass in which prayers were said for all those pilgrims who were heading to Santiago de Compostela and the Tomb of St James. In was here that we had the blessing to meet more pilgrims, including a protestant minister and some Spanish students. Following a nice talk with some of these were reminded of the diversity of this pilgrimage and diversity of motivations. Of all the pilgrims met, there were very few who were travelling for religious reasons, with most travelling for a sense of challenge or for personal reasons. Regardless of this there was a sense of unity in that all were on the same path, experiencing the same challenges and having to overcome theme together. This sense of unity on the pilgrimage was a strong bond which brought everyone together. This would be important the next day as we were to travel 27km uphill to Hospital de Bruma.

Day three: Betanzos to Hospital de Bruma

"Do not attempt to explain something difficult with contentiousness, but with patience, prayer and unwavering hope." – St Mark the Ascetic

The next morning we awoke early at 6am, to begin what was expected to be a 10-12 hour day uphill to the hamlet of Hospital de Bruma. Most of the guide books had warned that this would be the most difficult of days, and so we had decided to have an early start to miss the midday heat. The journey started with some difficult uphill sections, leading to the small down of Presedo. In the town of Presedo we discovered a small pilgrim café which, being the last pilgrim café before Bruma, had everyone we had previous met there. In this café we were able to relax and hear more of the stories of our fellow travellers and their motivation with a few people asking about our religious motivation for taking the pilgrimage (my travelling partner being a Catholic lay-chaplain.) Here we again felt the kinship from before, meeting many of these people for the second time and sharing our journeys before separating for the next stage.

The second half of the trip to Bruma was more difficult, with more slopes and more road walking than before, which had a major impact on my feet after hours of walking on dirt paths and country roads. The long stretches gave us a chance to reflect on the journey so far, and chances to stop for water and often prayer which should be the first call in such times. Fortunately the weather was more generous and so we were treated to clouds and mild warmth as opposed to the boiling heat from the first two days. We arrived in Bruma at around 3pm, with painful feet, and were treated to lunch at a small village café before heading to our hotel to freshen up and rest for the evening, spending another evening with some fellow pilgrims.

Hospital de Bruma - Sigüeiro

"Think nothing and do nothing without a purpose directed to God. For to journey without direction is wasted effort." - St Mark the Ascetic

Following the challenge of getting to Hospital de Bruma we had another long day, with 25km to Sigüeiro. The day began as the others, with long stretches down country roads and more steep slopes leading through towns and villages. This penultimate day of our pilgrimage led us through various farms however it was different in that we walked a large amount of the journey with people we had met on the way. Our walking partners were a couple from the Netherlands and Belgium who worked as hiking guides and were preparing to write about the Ingles route after travelling most of the other Camino de Santiago paths. We spent a large amount of the journey speaking to them about our experience of the way so far, and discussing the religious aspect. From their perspective, it had very little meaning to those walking it today however they felt positive seeking myself and James representing this link to the faith on the journey.

The evening of this long and extremely tiring day was spent in the pilgrim hostel. Whilst there we met other pilgrims including a Belgian man who had walked 30 day pilgrim walks every year and was a fountain of knowledge on the topic. After this, we had the blessing to attend a Catholic Mass in the city, and to take a talk with the priest about the pilgrimage and its importance, he seemed again happy to see pilgrims taking this religious journey. Having later shared dinner with other pilgrims, we were able to gain further insight into the mindset behind many people they had met on the way and listened as others reminisced in their journeys through some of the longer pilgrim ways. In was great to see the impact which walking the Camino has on others even when their motives are not outwardly religious in nature, since all seemed to have a call to the journey.

Sigüeiro – Santiago De Compostela

"If we are not willing to sacrifice this temporal life, or perhaps even the life to come, for the sake of our neighbour, as were Moses and St. Paul, how can we say that we love him?” – St Peter of Damascus

The final day started strangely, with the strange feeling that the Pilgrimage was coming to an end, since despite its brevity, its impact was significant. On a personal note, I can only wonder as to the feelings of whose walking larger routes which can take a month or longer. Though the walk was shorter, it again contained numerous slopes and challenging parts through forest paths. However, by the middle of the day we were within a few kilometres of the Cathedral. As we entered the city we visited a small Church and were able to pray and thank God for bringing us this far, preparing ourselves emotionally and spiritually to enter the old city and reach the cathedral.

Reaching the main square was a daunting thing to experience. Though the journey had been a short one, the realisation that it was over and that we had achieved our goal left me speechless. There, standing next to the Cathedral and only a few hundred meters from the tomb of St James, it seemed like a dream. Before entering the Cathedral we visited a small café and rested, meeting some other pilgrims there, and reflected on how we felt. We had shared a similar journey and a similar emotional state upon completion of the pilgrimage, one of “not feeling like I have arrived” and unpreparedness for it to finish. It was with this state of mind that we entered the Cathedral.

The Cathedral was beautiful and fascinating, keeping most of its medieval architecture alongside some modern features. The centrepiece of the Cathedral was its golden altar, along with the world’s largest censer. This censer was only used in services where a donation had been made, and so wasn’t used each service. After viewing this, we queued up to venerate the Saint at the end of the Pilgrimage and pray at his tomb. This was emotionally charged for all of the Pilgrims, since they had travelled here to venerate the Saint, and so myself and James spent a few minutes in prayer there before moving on and attending the Pilgrims mass at which we were happy to see many people we had travelled with.

The next day we began our drive home. As with the way there, we took the time to visit Lourdes as it was the half way mark. It was good to spend the start and end of our journey at this wonderful town. The domain there, with the grotto and basilica, was a perfect place to pray and reflect due to its silence and prayerful atmosphere. Whilst there we took the time to say our prayers and light candles for friends and family before resting up for the drive home.   

Tips for Travellers

Though my reflections do not quite emphasise it, the Camino de Santiago is physically, spiritually and emotionally demanding. Even the short routes such as the Camino Ingles (which I walked) involve hours of walking on hillsides a day and a willingness to accept that there is little room for stopping or giving up once the day has begun. A key piece of advice I would give to travellers is to pack lightly and ensure that you are committed to its completion.

By packing lightly, I mean not to pack for a holiday. The Camino is a pilgrimage and by its nature a path. Because of this you carry your pack with you between towns. This means that the more you bring, the more you carry. When I walked, I only took a small amount of clothes (My cassock and 3 sets to be precise) and little else, I had planned to bring a book to read however this became impossible due to weight, time and tiredness. Because of this, a small pamphlet text alongside your prayer book and Bible suffices, or even just having them on your phone could be preferable.

Overall the journey is a great blessing and I would advise everyone to undergo it or a similar one at least once in their life, embracing the spirit of the pilgrim. It is a chance to become one with others and forget the secular life which drags us from others and from God. You will meet many people of different motivations and they will become a lifeline and you will often lose track of the real world outside of this pilgrims life, thus truly becoming the Christians which the Apostle called “Pilgrims and sojourners” as we were called to be.