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Reflecting on Seashells, Wine, and the Heart of the Journey
Four years ago my family and I spent three days hiking along the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Sometimes, staying on the Camino is easy - just follow the crowd of other ‘pilgrims’ as Camino-hikers are called. Sometimes, though, no one else is around and so you look for these blue and yellow seashells that mark the path.
The seashells might be painted onto small, stone structures.
Or a sidewalk in a village you’re going through.
Or the side of a barn.
Or simply on a tree trunk.
The seashells show up in all kinds of ways, but generally they are spaced throughout the Camino to help you know you are on the right path.
As a foreigner with a two-year-old in tow, nothing gladdened my heart more deeply than seeing the next seashell. I became fixated upon finding the next sign that told us clearly, “Yes, you are on the right path. You are doing well! (you are not lost).”
Who among us doesn’t love finding the next seashell? And they come in all shapes and sizes.
It could be as simple as our to-do lists. We cross something off the list, and it is a visible affirmation that we are moving along the right path.
It could be a good review or promotion.
It could be…
a song played at just the right time
a serendipitous moment in the grocery store
a small act of kindness during the course of our day
a fuzzy but-oh-so-real dream
Many are the signs that affirm our direction. Have you seen one recently?
And though each seashell is a gift… they are not the heart of the journey.
I remember the second day on the Camino took us through vast kilometers of rolling vineyards. Located in one of those vineyards was an old, stone church that was a particular favorite stopping spot for pilgrims.
Perhaps pilgrims were drawn to was the lovely, quiet sanctuary.
Or maybe the quaint, well-maintained garden.
But, I will tell you by far the largest crowd of pilgrims was always found on the side of the church building where this church had installed two spickets into the stone facade. Out of these spickets flowed free, red wine sourced from the abundant surrounding vineyards.1
Scores of pilgrims throughout the day would walk up, put their water bottle under, and pull the lever until their bottle was full. From there, most pilgrims would then take off their backpack, find a seat on a nearby log, and begin chatting. Swapping stories. Letting the social lubricant open them to share and laugh about the journey.
We were only on the Camino three days, but I came to find that scene really is the heart of the Camino experience.
The Camino is about the relationships that are formed.
It’s about the bond, the kinship, and the things that are discovered about oneself in those exchanges (And perhaps the wine and weariness were convenient bridges to that bond).
Until that moment, I had been trying to describe the Camino to others by talking about the the distance, the dirt, and the seashells.
After that, I would say, “The journey is the relationships. It’s really about the folks you walk alongside. The folks you meet. There’s a whole world of new depth and insight found in relational space.”
(Pilgrims on the journey, together. With a stroller.)
In this life, we are ever-looking for seashells that tell us we are on the right path, moving in the right direction, and making the right choice. And that’s not a bad inclination. It’s just that at the end of the day, no matter where we are headed - the heart of the journey is about the people who are right there before us.
It’s true in our workplace (where studies show one of the most significant factors in workplace satisfaction has to do with our relationship to the 5-6 people we work most closely with)
It’s true in our classrooms and boardrooms and neighborhoods.
It’s true in life.
In fact, we may sense ourselves lost on the journey in any number of ways. But if we have people, a group, or even just a friend or two walking with us in that space, it’s amazing how that makes all the difference.
Ye, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.
The promise has never been that a seashell is just ahead declaring that all is going in the right direction…the promise is that of Presence upon the journey.
Who are the ones walking nearest today?
Maybe their presence is its own kind of seashell.
Or maybe the font of free joy.
Or both.
And if that’s true, maybe we’re overdue for a coffee or a wine or a walk…
I told this story in a sermon a few years back. I’m sure I had a brilliant point, and I’m sure it did not matter in the least. After the service, it was clear what people left with: “Well, pastor, I think you have your next new member outreach program.”
Can you imagine the new signage? Free wine on the side of the building. Also inside every Sunday at 11!
So grateful for this journey and for the metaphorical wine along the way like these stories and the people who resonate with the messages.
Great story and enjoyed your trip!!!