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Dear CPC family,
The last time I was writing to you, I was preparing for three months on sabbatical. A lot has happened since then, in my life and in yours!
In sermons over the coming months, and maybe much longer, I’ll share different stories from my time away, particularly the four weeks I spent in Spain walking the pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago (the way of St. James). For this month’s newsletter, I thought I’d give just a little glimpse into something I took away from my trip.
When you’re walking the Camino, there’s one question every pilgrim you meet asks you: Why are you walking the Camino?
I answered this question in many ways, depending on my mood and what was on my mind at the moment, but here are some answers I spouted out to strangers and later jotted down in a journal:
-To learn to be grateful rather than just productive-to go slow enough to be present to God
-To discover who I am when I’m not preaching, counseling, leading, and helping others
-To experience strangers take an interest in me because I’m a human worthy of taking an interest in
-To get away from what I’m known for and be content being an anonymous pilgrim
-To hand over the burdens of the recent loss of good friends
As much as I loved the self-discovery process and exploring different answers, I was actually far more interested to hear how others would respond. I learned that humans are all fascinating, and we’re all carrying something, and we all want to be known and loved. I often found myself surrounded by people from around the world who had been raised in church but who found faith obsolete and unnecessary these days. I heard stories of people searching, hurting, hoping, and longing.
It made me grateful for the healing and hope offered in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and it made me want to share that hope with others. Which I got to do with no professional agenda!
The stories I heard from others, which I’ll remember for a lifetime, remind me of a quote I read on sabbatical by Catholic priest Ronald Rolheiser, who said: It is no easy task to walk the earth and find peace.
Just like walking hundreds of miles with all your stuff in a backpack, life is often a struggle. And yet we’re called to embrace the struggle, because good things are usually hard things. And I think we will find that life is worth wrestling with, that Jesus is worth seeking and holding onto because He is persistent and stubbornly constant and consistent in our lives. Because we know the One who ultimately brings peace, we can walk through the ups and downs of life with hope and courage, and we can help others as well.
I can’t wait to keep walking and unpacking and growing in faith alongside all of you.
Much love,
Petey
