Near Restful Waters

Near Restful Waters

On my first attempt at writing this blogger crashed and I lost the post. Now I’m trying to piece it together from the fragments of my own memory.  It was meant to be about water. So, here goes...

As we walked the Camino Portugues I became very aware of water. On day one, we walked from Porto to Vila de Conde, and did so by the sea. On many days we passed pools, fountains, ponds, brooks, streams and rivers. At times these waters seemed to call out: “Stop. Be still. Come and rest by me.”

We also became aware of basic needs that water slakes. Walking in the heat, where hard surfaces deflect the sun back towards us, our thirst became greater. We needed to drink more water. On the two days I felt the affects of dehydration,  I noticed how debilitated we can become. 

But water has a blessed relieving function too. Oh the joy of the shower at the end of the walk each day. Washing away the dust and sweat and grime and just invigorating the body and soul. Why one place even had a thermal spa. It got used!

There was the beauty of the waterfalls and water in amber glow as it passed under old stone bridges at night.

It also made me think of the waters of baptism. In baptism we die with Christ to rise in new life with him. We leave behind our old selves and put on a new self. The Camino is like this. We leave behind things, expectations and burdens. We pick up a new way of carrying our lives. In this way, baptism and the Camino are great levellers. For, whether we are Pope Francis, or a person baptised last weekend, we are all equal and plunged into the pilgrim people of God.

The Camino has helped me appreciate the great gift of water, for basic needs, for beauty and for our pilgrim way. But it has also helped me remember to seek to be a humble pilgrim on the walk of life. Thank you to those who have helped deliver that lesson.