Ted Harro — A Journey in Humility

Renovaré President Ted Harro discusses his recent pilgrimage with his son along the Camino de Santiago, including how its unexpected detours taught him the beauty of humility.

Show Notes

[1:00] You recently went on a pilgrimage. Can you discuss pilgrimage as a spiritual practice?

[4:55] I love this question, where are you going and why? That sounds like a Jesus-type question. So is the point the destination, is this a kind of magical place that I go and I get a gold star from God for walking 300 miles? 

[6:23] So tell us – everything went wrong? Tell us about your experience. What was the plan?

[10:08] When I heard that it didn't go as planned, there was a part of me that was really sad because I know you had been preparing for this and it was really important. But I also had a little smile on my face because I thought, “Oh, Ted’s going to learn something, that you can only learn from having these disappointments, challenges.” Are there things you have been able to unpack from the experience that you’d be willing to share?

[17:32] What did you do with the grief of watching Duncan go on?

[19:50] Talking about humility, what were some of the new pieces that opened up for you?

[23:40] How have you made it 55 years without bumping into your limitations? There is a gift and a blessing in bumping into those. In reading my dad’s new book on humility that’s coming out later this year, he reaches the conclusion that it’s the foundational virtue for spiritual formation.

[25:20] How has it been wearing for you as you’ve been home for a while now?

[27:43] As we’re talking, I’m reflecting on the six months – you have really come in with a high level of humility, as a learner trying to partner with God, and that’s been neat to watch. Are there pieces in these months that you’ve learned, or things that might be helpful for people to know about Renovaré and your role?

Resources

• Learning Humility: A Year of Searching for a Vanishing Virtue, by Richard Foster (coming out December 2022)