Strangers

[StuartM]

It's been 18 months since I walked the Camino. On the walk I vowed to talk to every single person I met even if it was only "hola". The result of that was that many strangers became good friends. One stranger became an incredibly good friend. An email from that former stranger led me to talk to another stranger a little over a week ago. That stranger said something to me that took the last 7 or 8 days to sink in. Out of the blue, this afternoon I suddenly realised what she had meant and it answered a puzzle that I'd been trying to solve for the last six months.

So just a lesson or tip for everyone who walks the Camino alone or may be feeling apprehensive... Talk to people, dont let anyone be a stranger, let no-one go past because you'll never understand the significance of any meeting at that moment in time.

Walk and talk and you set off a chain of events that takes a long time to get there.

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Good coaching. I like to do this back here at home as well and certainly when I am on a trail hiking.....

 

[Susan hopes]

Thank you, Stuart. I am leaving for my first camino in three weeks and I hope to make many friends from around the world. I will definitely follow your advice.

 

[Jabaldo]

It's been 18 months since I walked the Camino. On the walk I vowed to talk to every single person I met even if it was only "hola". The result of that was that many strangers became good friends. One stranger became an incredibly good friend. An email from that former stranger led me to talk to another stranger a little over a week ago. That stranger said something to me that took the last 7 or 8 days to sink in. Out of the blue, this afternoon I suddenly realised what she had meant and it answered a puzzle that I'd been trying to solve for the last six months.

So just a lesson or tip for everyone who walks the Camino alone or may be feeling apprehensive... Talk to people, dont let anyone be a stranger, let no-one go past because you'll never understand the significance of any meeting at that moment in time.

Walk and talk and you set off a chain of events that takes a long time to get there.

You are so right. One Christmas my son gave me a book as a gift, called Joshua. His name is also Joshua so I thought this was a joke. It wasn't. It was a book written by a priest from Buffalo, NY. It is a series of three books. I have read them all but the Joshua book is about Christ being among us right now. He comes in many different forms to many people. At one time he came as a homeless beggar to another homeless person who shared his scraps of food. The Christ figure blessed the person for sharing and his life changed for the better. He the Christ figure then came to a well off person who refused him and his life fell apart. So yes you never know who you are talking to or who you are helping. Christ is among if we allow him to enter.
Bless us all

 

[simply B]

"So yes you never know who you are talking to or who you are helping. Christ is among if we allow him to enter."

True, that!

And it does not hurt to remember the relevant words of Mother Theresa: "Christ often comes to us in the most disturbing disguises."

B

 

[mspath]

"Let brotherly love continue,
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby
some have entertained angels unawares."

Hebrews, 13:1,2