Two Quick Posts Before El Camino

1) I Just Never Thought to Pray

It's not as if I'm a world traveler -- hardly is that the case, but over the years, I've seen a few Cathedrals in my wanderings. With every visit I've been amazed at the architectural grandeur, awed by the depth of history (did I say they've had an evening prayer service at St. Paul's in London every night for 1,400 years... talk about being connected to something larger than yourself), and moved by the mysterious power that something as mundane as stone and glass can glimpse... I've gawked and staggered and groped for words and felt the inspiration of the Christian story in these places...

I just never thought to pray.

I mean pray, beyond the gawking and staggering and groping and being inspired (which I believe are kinds of prayers in themselves). But in this summer's visits: Washington's National Cathedral, and London's St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey and Bloomsbury Central Baptist, and Notre Dame and Sacre Couer of Paris, and Madrid's Cathedral of Our Sister de la Almudena, all became places of prayer for our family. Specific, stop, and sit, and talk (about who or what), and kneel and sing and meditate, places of prayer.

Today, in Madrid's very Catholic cathedral, we prayed for our hopes and expectations for a pilgrimage that will only begin, in earnest, tomorrow: safety... a good time... endurance, strength, patience... that we may experience God with all of our senses... Prayers offered, simply, quickly, quietly... it's amazing what that kind of experience can do to a cathedral.

An intentional, thoughtful moment. All the difference.

Maybe you can find yours, in some "cathedral" today.

May it be so.


2) It Only Starts Tomorrow

The last week has been too wonderful. Before we left, I was prodding the boys a bit, trying to get them ready for our adventure, and at lunch one day I said, "Hey guys... let's do something really wild this summer... let's go to... London! And, maybe while we're there, we should go down to Paris, too -- we may miss the Tour de France, but I hear there are a few other things to see, too! And, maybe we could take in Madrid, Spain. And, hey... what would it be like to... like... walk across Spain!? And... while we're dreaming... well, why don't we just get someone else to pay for all of this!? OK? Who's in!?"

Who could have dreamed anything wilder than what we've just experienced as a family. All I can keep saying is... amazing... and thanks, to all who've made it possible.

But it really only starts tomorrow. The real thing. The reason we're here. So tonight, as we prayed together, we talked about how tomorrow's "touring" would be different from the kind we've done for the last 9 days. No museums -- unless you call the towns of Spain a museum of life... no exciting travel -- unless you call 62 miles of walking in the heat exciting... no crowds, pushing and shoving -- maybe the four of us, and God, will be crowd enough. It's called "pilgrimage." And it starts tomorrow.

The clock is set for 5:30 a.m. Some of you will just be turning off the late night news and tucking in when we set out for the Metro station... one transfer, and we'll arrive at the city's south-side Autobus Station. From there, we're in for a 6-hour ride up to Lugo. And then all the fun is to begin. We have no tickets, you see -- and our travel agent (who couldn't make reservations) encouraged us to brush up on our Spanish, as we'll be completely on our own to get from Lugo to Sarria, to meet our "Spanish Steps" guide, and our three fellow Pilgrims.

Pray for us. We may need it after arriving in Lugo at 1:30p.m.!

From there, I have no idea how much internet service I'll have, but I'll do my best to post a short clip each day, and maybe a picture.

It starts tomorrow. And after almost two years of talking about it. We can hardly wait.