Pilgrimage of the heart
There are two places we need to go often.
A place that heals you.
And a place that inspires you.
Both places embrace the permission (the invitation) to show up. To this life. To this day. To be here now. Because we know that we bring the gift of enough. To spill light where we can, in a world where darkness is real.
More than ever, I carry Maya Angelou’s words with me, “My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who and how you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness. Continue to allow humor to lighten the burden of your tender heart.”
This time last year, I was off to walk the Portuguese Camino de Santiago. A walk—pilgrimage—that literally changed my world. And tomorrow, I’m off to revisit places along that Camino journey.
St Brendan, the Navigator, a saint of Irish yore is believed to have said, “You are the veil that hides the paradise you seek.” It is only through lifting the veil—of unrealistic expectations, of stories that bind us to the past or to labels that confine us, or of any harmful dogmas that we have unconsciously carried—that real “spiritual travel” can ensue.
And let us remember Mr. Rogers’ affirmation, “There’s something deep inside, that helps us become what we can.”
I read once that “a true pilgrimage of the heart never arrives at a destination. Perhaps this is why we all yearn to return to the physical pilgrimage pathways again and again.” A journey that helps “lift the veil”.
So. I’m returning. To revisit and reconnect with pilgrimage site and venues, gratefully accompanied by my wife, Nancy. We will not be walking the entire Camino, but stopping to explore sites and spots where my heart was tender. Places where the veil was lifted. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s reminder, “Faith is not the clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage of the heart.”
Yes, the power of the journey inviting (encouraging) us to realize and embrace our true selves. In a recent interview Martin Sheen said, “It’s not about winning or losing, but about being in touch with your own personal humanity.”
Okay. That’s worth a pause. Sheen went on to say, “And if we don’t find it in ourselves, we can’t possibly see it in each other.”
We can do this, Sheen said, when we honor what he called the BBB inside every one of us. We are beautiful. We are blessed. We are broken.
Yes, and amen. And we easily forget that, assuming that it is the broken which diminishes the beautiful and the blessed. When in fact, it is the broken that allows the light in, to shine where grace and kindness and gentleness, and personal humanity are alive and well.
On the pilgrimage each one of us walks, we are fueled by our inherent value. Those places of beauty, creativity, resilience, imagination, courage and humor. And kindness. Those places of healing. And places of inspiration. And gratefully, a Camino walk is a very good reminder.
The Camino wisdom calls me daily to pick up my pack and march on. To trust, find beauty, and to be vulnerable. To share pain, joy, and connection. To, with practice, patience (okay, lots of patience), faith, and grace, continue walking.
And here’s the deal: Sometimes we do indeed need a different way to measure what really matters.
Because on this walk—this pilgrimage—we walk toward, or we walk away.
Toward what enriches. Or toward what diminishes.
Either way, we begin a journey—a pilgrimage—to find, or restore, or forgive, or heal. To lift the veils. Or perhaps, just to have the deck of our world shuffled.
Thich Nhat Hanh’s reminder, “At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.”
I love the stories in Celtic spirituality that talk about “thin places”. Where we experience holiness in those ordinary moments where the barrier between earth and heaven is particularly thin. Ah yes, the veil is lifted. And there, with our sacramental imagination flourishing, we see, hear, taste and touch those gifts in our “unexpected encounters” with the Sacred. With the Holy. With God.
Journeys—pilgrimages—that cannot be quantified in photos and souvenirs.
I’m not sure exactly what it is about the spiritual journey that is so transforming, but people through the ages in every religious tradition have found it to be so. If you need to be deeply renewed, purged of toxins, and ready to start life anew, let God lead you on pilgrimage—if only in your spirit and heart. A sacred place that enriches the soul.
And no, pilgrimages are not easy by any measure. Which is why I marvel at stories about people with fortitude or stamina. My friend Jinks tells me that it is our place of “bright shadow.”
“There’s something deep inside, that helps us become what we can.” We are fueled by our inherent value. Remembering our endowment, by our Creator, with good.
Can we hear that today?
I hope so.
And pilgrimage is a great metaphor for what we are on, as a country. We are walking not only to disconnect from the rapid pace of life, but to make space for presence and healing and connectedness on many levels—with others, with our world, and with ourselves.
Sadly, when life feels catawampus, we forget where we tether our well-being.
So, I will carry these words with me into this week and I invite you to do the same.
What sustains me, and carries me gently through my days?
What heals and restores and inspires?
What empowers me to spill the light I carry?
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” Iain Thomas
I’ll be writing and posting along the way. Finding tokens and reminders to enrich our journey—pilgrimage—together. And I will be grateful for your prayers.
Quote for our week…
“With great passion, observe every detail of the sacred journey.” Lailah Akita
BULLETIN BOARD
Today’s Photo Credit: “Hi Terry. Greetings from Shrine Mont, Orkney Springs, VA.” Bruce Manson… Thank you Bruce… Thank you to all, I love your photos… please, keep sending them… send to terryhersheyster@gmail.com
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Letters that do my heart good…
–Terry, You are very good at preaching and even taking care of yourself because you do all this by taking care of others. Keep spilling the light. Judit
–Thank you for these words of inspiration, Terry. I needed the reminder of what’s in my cup… anger, frustration, despair, discouragement has been filling it up recently and I needed to spill it out in a safe place to make room for hope, joy and love. And also, thanks for introducing me to yet another amazing composer: You Do Not Walk Alone; Traditional Irish Blessing with music by Elaine Hagenberg. With hope and gratitude, Linda
–Dear Terry, I just had to write to thank you for your writing today. You have such a wonderful perspective. Your suggestion that we choose to give up being afraid and closed and choose to look for beauty, really resonated with me. The last year or so, I have realized how I view my world through my perspective and that that vision has been formed by my upbringing and my life experiences and how that perspective can be faulty. So, thank you so much for your writings, I start off my day by reading them and they help shape my day, Your writings are a gift and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us, Colleen
–Good morning, Terry, Today from southern Alberta I am sending you a Big Hug wrapped with smiles. And gratitude for the gift of you on this autumn day. Linda
POEMS AND PRAYERS
Creating Spirit,
Far too often I make demands of my own life
and try to tell it how to live and be.
A deeper, more authentic way to live
is allowing my life to speak to me, through me.
Show me how to deeply listen to my life
so that I may discover how to live
this wild and precious life well.
Amen.
Heavenly Father, heavenly Mother,
Holy and blessed is your true name.
We pray for your reign of peace to come,
We pray that your good will be done,
Let heaven and earth become one.
Give us this day the bread we need,
Give it to those who have none.
Let forgiveness flow like a river between us,
From each one to each one.
Lead us to holy innocence
Beyond the evil of our days —
Come swiftly Mother, Father, come.
For yours is the power and the glory and the mercy:
Forever your name is All in One.
Parker Palmer
