Day 4 - The Cock Crowed

  1. When I left the hotel the cock crowed. I thought it was an omen, but no, it was a rooster welcoming the day. It had nothing to do with me. The walk was less stressful today and I arrived at my new location at 1:30. For the most part the landscapes were once again beautiful and we started a transition today from the fields of grain to the vineyards and groves of olive trees. One of the highlights from me was walking on a road constructed by the Romans over 2100 years ago and crossing the bridge which they had constructed. Something still being used after 2000 years is just amazing. I met an English woman today and we had a wonderful conversation about America (she says on the Camino Americans and Australian are similar), baked beans (a staple for English breakfast but dying because of bad reviews from people like me), anchovies (absolutely delightful for her and wondering why Americans don’t appreciate them), and theology. She remarked that she had yet to meet a person on the Camino who was doing the journey to atone for their sins - one of the original reasons people traveled the Camino. I said that there are few in modernity that are burdened by their sins, and in our Protestant tradition we believe confession brings God’s forgiveness. I believe this but I wonderful if we have lost something in our discipleship when our sins are incidental and we have lost our concept of a Holy God. I thought about most of the day as I walked. I discovered a sign in one town which had the directions of the route going one way and an arrow to the bar another. Temptation on the Camino…on Sunday morning. Signs are very important on the Camino. To find your way you have to look for the sign. They are found on buildings, on cement posts, and in the cities they are found on medallions fixed to the sidewalk. You develop a pretty good eye for them. Also we pasted a church that celebrated its 1000 year birthday in 2020. Amazing! (Statue is founding pastor) Finally a quick confession: Last night I posted about the moving concert and said when the choir sang it was beautiful. I said they sang, “Kylie Ellison”. I hope God was laughing. They sang, “Kyrie Eleison - Lord have mercy”). Who ever Kylie Ellison is, I hope she will forgive me as well as God. I have over 600 kilometers to work that out with Him. Buen Camino

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