“Nobody went yesterday,
goes today
nor will go tomorrow
towards god
through this same way
I am going through…”
~Leon Filipe
This is the lyrics to the songs the sisters at the monastery in Carrion de los Condes sang to us pilgrims the night of our stay.
It’s common knowledge that everyone is vastly different from each other. Some of us prefer to start earlier some later, our pace varies as some of us are faster and some slower, some of us prefer to walk alone and there are those who prefer company. Then there are those of us who can handle longer days than others.
How then in the midst of all the variety can we celebrate the value of the differences between the individuals while preserving and prioritizing the unity of the team? The word God gave me for this year was “oneness” so this is something I’ve been seeking the Lord’s wisdom on for some time. What I’ve been trying to understand is how can we each have our own way or journey while uniting in one spirit and one voice as the body of Christ? What does this look like on the Camino for team 43:19 and better yet in the church?
Everyday we must move on the Camino. Whether it’s a 15k, 20k or 30k walk, we don’t have the option to stay put for more than 1 night. The albergues we stay in require us to be out by 8am but typically we’re up before sunrise every morning.
I always tend to fall behind regardless of how early I start walking. In the beginning I tried not to be too far behind but eventually I learned my own pace. Trying to keep up with those who are faster may last for some time but eventually I became exhausted and distracted of the purpose of this. Also please note, we had some of the most fit individuals on our team who were ready to take on double the distance in half the time. Needless to say this caused some much appreciated tension in our team. While it was uncomfortable to talk about (especially when you’re the slow one) it was one of my absolute favorite lessons.
I learned first hand that this is not the opportunity to make the slower ones burn out to keep up with the fast ones nor an excuse for the slower ones to not push through but an opportunity to look out for each other. It started by giving everyone the space to walk at their own pace while establishing meeting points. It was then we assessed how everyone was feeling physically and determining as a team whether it is best to keep moving forward.
There were times we had to push and keep going but there were also times where if just one wasn’t able to continue the whole team willingly stayed. Sometimes this required patience from those leading the way and sometimes it required perseverance from the ones trailing behind. Through this we learned to make the best decisions for the team as a whole and assess each day as it comes because it looks different daily. As individuals within the team, we each function uniquely but we grew to understand the importance for each person to be healthy in order to optimally operate as one.
In the same token, while our paths are linked together to function as one body, our paths should look different. While they all lead to the Father, our journey may not look the same at all. Our valleys may seem lower or longer than others and some of our mountains steeper or fewer. I’ve learned more this month to appreciate those differences than ever before. I love knowing that someone else in the team possesses strengths in areas of my own weaknesses. I love that sometimes that means I need to use these opportunities to learn from my brothers and sisters or that he’s using me to teach them patience(or both). I love that those in my community may sometimes see something in a situation or in myself that I don’t. I love that we need each other and that we were never meant to do it alone. I love learning how to love.
“If you want to arrive soon go alone, if you want to go further go with others.”
“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Eph 4:16
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 13::1
