Speaking of “going to the movies”, as we have the past few weeks, I saw the movie, The Way about seven years ago. It’s about an American father, Dr Thomas Avery (Charlie Sheen), who travels to France to recover the body of his estranged son, who died while travelling “El Camino de Santiago” from France to Santiago de Compostela (Spain). It is a profound movie, so much so that my friend and I decided that’s what we were doing for her 60th birthday. Well, COVID got in the way, and we never got there. However, I have lived the journey through many other friends (Kim and Ashley Hood more recently).

One of the main takeaways in the movie was that you’re never the same after walking the 800 km. Those who have made it to the end say, “Once a pilgrim, always a pilgrim”. It seems a part of you will always long to trek a path where peace, love, and shared solitude are the norms. It sounds a bit like the experience merges with your DNA and never leaves you.

This reminds me of when Jesus said, “I am THE WAY, the truth and the life.” Jesus trekked all over Israel, meeting people, eating with them, and sharing the good news that there was a better way to live. He confronted issues that people had in their lives and told them how to deal with them. People He met found their lives transformed through His words and deeds. He got people to reflect on their lives and showed them how to live a life full of hope and peace.

As we seek the peace, love, and quiet moments we all want in our lives, we do well to follow in Jesus’s footsteps. We need not strive for riches, fame, beauty, or power. Whether we are Anna and Elsa in Frozen, Barbie, or Dr. Thomas Avery, Jesus says, “Follow me…come and learn.”

God of restoration and rescue, thank you for Christ, the hope of glory.

Leanne