Along the Road, Easter Happens

A city street in Pontevedra, Spain

Prior to leaving for the El Camino, a colleague expressed to me that I would experience Easter in a new way. Instead of leading Lent, Holy Week and Easter services, you will be free to experience Easter in a different way and a different place. 

While walking, I checked my E-mail and learned that the theme for Messy Church in my congregation for the month of May would be 'roads in the Bible'. Quite fitting for one who was traveling many different roads, pathways, and forest trails on the way Santiago de Compostela. 

As I continued my walk, I thought of the various roads that were mentioned in the Bible where extraordinary things happened. I thought of Paul on the Road to Damascus. The Gospel of Mark is really only one journey, the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem -- to his death and ultimate resurrection. Certainly a motif that has been particulary poignant as Carly and I walk the El Camino during Holy Week and arrive at the Cathedral on Holy Saturday. There was the pathway the women took when they learned that Jesus had risen. I am thinking of the parable of the Good Samaritan who found a beaten man on the road to Jericho, and two pilgrims on their way to Emmaus, struggling to understand the crucifixion of Jesus and discovered Jesus in the breaking of the bread. These and many more bible stories are shared in the context of a journey and in all of them, Easter happens. 

As I think about our El Camino walk, I journeyed with the same spirit. Where does Easter happen on the road to Santiago De Compostela? On our first day, a little help from veteran El Camino walkers helped us to find where our walk in Porto would begin. In the

Forest Path, Vila Praia de Ancora, Portugal

assurance of others, both veterans and newbies on the Camino, Easter happens. A long walk along the Atlantic Ocean is beautiful, but how wonderful to find an island of fresh water to fill our water-bottles. In the fountains and pools along the way, Easter happens. With the help of a resident, just taking her garbage to the dumpster, with no intentions to meet strangers looking for a taxi, goes out of her way to help us contact a taxi service. Along the way, Easter happens. A pilgrim falls along the El Camino and pilgrims rush to her aide and make sure that she is okay. Yes, there were language barriers, but nonetheless, first aid was given and she was cared for as best as the pilgrims were able to do. Yes, Easter happens. There were mountains shrouded by the early morning fog, the sound of ocean waves breaking against the shore, the song of birds, the smell of Mother Earth in the early morning and beautiful sunrises and sunsets and were a witness to Easter morning. Along the Camino way, Easter happened. 

The use of roads and pathways in the Bible are metaphors for Easter experiences. Along the Bible roads, great, wonderful, spiritual and significant things happen that change lives in ways we least expect. On the road to Damascus, Paul sees the risen Christ and changes his ways. The women, believing they are going to attend to the lifeless body of their friend, Jesus, are the first witnesses to God's greatness in the Resurrection. How could their lives not change? When the good Samaritan came to the aid of the beaten man, he put his own needs aside and provided the care the man needed on the road to Jericho. Do you ever wonder what ever happened to the beaten man? How could he not be changed? On the road to Emmaus, two disciples see the face of the risen Christ in broken bread. Along the road, Easter happens. 

Father Richard Rohr is a priest, author, and writer that puts new images of the Christian faith before us that inspire and empower us. In a Easter sermon he preached in 2019 he makes the point that every message about Jesus is a message about all of us. I think for me, my El Camino walk has seen this truth in multiple ways along the path to Santiago de Compostela. Rohr suggests that we make Easter all about the individual Resurrection of Jesus rather than a Festival of Hope for humanity. Easter is a feast of hope, diretion, purpose, meaning and community that reminds us that Easter happens to us, along the way, from death to life, and from despair to renewal. Yes, I experienced Easter differently this year. I experienced Easter everyday along the Camino Way.