I have reached my goal! arrived in Santiago yesterday evening, the city I set out towards on foot 68 days ago. There were times when I did not really think this place existed, days that would drag on and on, steps that seemed to take me nowhere, pains that never seemed to leave, and rains that never stopped to fall. I wondered many times if I wasn't a fool for taking on such a goal, sometimes even questioning whether this place actually existed, for it so often seemed like a fantasy in a made up world far off at the end of the never ending european horizon of plains, plateaus, mountain tops, deep valleys, and path after path after path.
Yesterday though, David and I stepped onto the Obradorio, what some have described as the most beautiful square in the world. And it was! We plopped down right in the middle, staring at the Cathedral towering above us, on the backdrop of a bright blue sky, and were left speechless for at least 5 minutes. The beauty of the place did not so much stem from the impressive midieval architecture of the church, or even the largess of the palaces encircling it, but from the realization that we had reached what for so long seemed unreachable. And we were not alone... hundreds of other pilgrims were milling around us as well, all with their own particular experience, and purpose for being there. Be it the pilgrim who walked the 100km to receive his Compostella or the pilgrim who walked from Moscow, or even the older man I saw with leg braces on, we had all reached our goal! It could have very well become a place to boost my pride, relish in my accomplishement, and pat myself on the back for what I had just accomplished. But no, in fact it was just the opposite, one of the most humbling experiences of my life, for on that square, we were sitting in a place where thousands, millions perhaps, of other pilgrims had been before, and where millions will be again. And what am I , but one of them, one small drop adding to the flow of this river which began in the 9th century and will continue for years to come. David and I prayed together there on that square, thanking the LORD for his protection over us, for the things He taught us all along the way and for the way he strenthened our friendship through this endeavor. I was wondering if I would cry when I got here, I didn't but at that moment my throat tightened up... huge emotions, huge.
Along this path there was much physical pain, yes, but it was easily compensated by a multitude of joys as well. If I were to make a list here you would be reading for hours and this is already getting long. I so enjoyed the freedom experienced of the past two months, living day by day, never thinking of the next deadline, the next paycheck, or the latest bombing in the news. I so enjoyed meeting so many interesting people all along the way, who we met and who welcomed us in their home, offering us coffee, or a meal, or even a roof for the night. I so enjoyed all the great discussions I had for hours on end with David. I so enjoyed my times of solitude in some of the most remote and beautiful places I've ever seen... Is this amazing experience really over?! I don't have to walk tomorrow... Am I happy about that? My body sure is, but I don't know if I really am. It's odd really, I've walked towards this far away place for so long all the while with the hope of getting here, and soon after I arrive my feelings already tend towards nostalgia, and I long for more.
But why? Do I not still have a goal to press on to? Was I just playing at being a pilgrim? If so I will go back into the "real world" and the game will be over. But no, I've become a pilgrim, and this pilgrimmage continues for the rest of my life. It's never over! We are all pilgrims really, every day is a new étape or stage, a new place to walk to. There are pains and joys, sorrows and victorious accomplishments, but through it all we are all pressing towards something. What is your goal? Here is mine:
I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. No dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Thank you all who followed us over these past two months. Those who prayed for us, called us, wrote us... You were all an encouragement in one way or another. I hope to answer you all on a more personal level once I have a bit more time. In the mean time,
ULTREIA!
Joshua.
