Truce - History of the Christian Church The Camino del Norte part 1
Give a little help Chris make Truce
On this bonus episode, Chris takes you along with him as he hiked 250 miles on an old Catholic pilgrimage route called the Camino de Santiago.
The Camino has a complex history and is actually comprised of more than one trail. The Norte, the oldest (if you take the Primativo), is along the northern coast, the Frances runs east-west through the middle, and the Portuguese routes are north-south from Lisbon to Santiago. You can walk from Turkey following a Camino, or from France. There are webs of them all across Europe. Many lead to the bustling city of Santiago de Compostela in the west of Spain. With lots of tourist traffic, ice cream shops, restaurants, and lodging that caters to pilgrims. The trails converge on a large square and a giant cathedral. This cathedral, started in 1078, as legend has it, is the resting place for the bones of Saint James, one of Jesus' apostles. If you approach the altar, you'll find a door to the right down a set of stairs. Inside, you can see a silver box containing the relics.
Pilgrims have travelled there for over a thousand years. Some for religious purposes, others as criminals who were forced to walk as part of their sentence, a journey that could take years, and claimed the lives of many. Others hiked to absolve their sins, something Pope Calixtus II declared could happen if they did it in a year where St. James' Day fell on a Sunday. In the 12th and 13th centuries, as many as a quarter of a million pilgrims made one of these journeys. Today, these routes are experiencing a renaissance. As hundreds of thousands more walk for their own reasons. To the chagrin of seasoned hikers who think the routes are too crowded.
In this two-part series, you'll hear Chris and his brother Nick as they talk with people about the Camino, as they share Jesus with people, and find their way on this ancient route.
Any packing list is going to be incomplete, because everyone likes their own things! But you REALLY should consider keeping it light. You will have more fun and fewer injuries if your pack stays light.
- Rain poncho
- 2 x hiking shirts
- 1 x hiking pants
- 1 x hiking shorts
- mini toiletries
- shoes (already broken in)
- hiking poles
- a broad-brimmed hat
- app with maps and GPS (we like Camino Ways)
- sun glasses
- journal and pens
- plastic bags for dry stuff
- light jacket
- 2 x hiking socks (I like the dual-layered kind)
- a small bottle of sunscreen
- cash (at least 3--400 euros) because not all albergues take cards
- medicines
- water bottles
- a tennis ball (to massage your tired feet!)
- and more!
Sources:
Discussion Questions:
- What leads people to hike a long trail?
- Would you ever hike a pilgrimage route?
- Why do so many people have difficulty with the Christian Church that they would go on a pilgrimage route without being religious?
- How do you interact with strangers? Are you ever in places where you can meet them?
- Could you share the gospel with a stranger if you had the opportunity?
What to pack for the Camino de Santiago
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