Santiago and Simplicity
The Second Sunday of Advent
Reflection By Gary Manning
Being content with less, creates space in the heart for more love.
- Margo Vader, Take A Little Soul Time
When I was preparing to walk the Camino de Santiago, I spent a fair amount of time on various online forums attempting to learn as much as possible about the practicalities of day-to-day life on “The Way.” Of particular importance to me was figuring out what “essentials” I should take with me in my backpack. The general rule of thumb for pilgrims is that the weight of the backpack and its contents should not exceed 10% of one’s body weight (in my case, this was around 15 pounds).
Over the course of the weeks leading up to my walk, I packed, unpacked, and repacked my gear at least a dozen times. With each round of packing and unpacking, I would make tortured decisions about which items to include and which ones to leave behind. I remember reading advice from one experienced pilgrim who contended that the fundamental lesson of the Camino was learning to “let go of the fantasy one could fortify oneself against every possible circumstance.” This pilgrim went on to say, “Simplifying what you carry will not only be easier on your knees and shoulders, but also on your mind—because you’ll spend less time worrying about keeping track of things you’ll likely never use anyway.”
By the time I took my first steps toward Santiago, I had managed to get the weight of my pack down to 16.4 pounds! And guess what? Some of the things I had identified as “absolutely essential” were never needed, even though I carried them for 480 miles across Spain.
When Matthew tells us about John the Baptist in today’s Gospel reading, he makes special note of John’s minimalist wardrobe and limited dietary requirements. The message of repentance John proclaimed was of such hefty urgency, he couldn’t be burdened with extra stuff. He was a man on the move. Whatever else John might need for his ministry would have to show up while he was on his way from place to place. John’s minimalism was an act of faith.
We are only eight days into Advent. As we once again make our way to Bethlehem, what are the things we could leave behind in order to lighten our load and ease our weary souls? What would our spiritual lives look like if we weren’t insistent on carrying guilt, shame, anger, fear, cynicism, or hatred along with us every day? Could we risk letting go of our need to fortify ourselves against every possible circumstance?
What if repentance is not simply about changing direction and making a new start, but also about letting go (with God’s help) of all sorts of stuff we’ve carried for far too long?