Shortly after leaving the tiny Ermita, I was trudging slowly through the westernmost outskirts of Leon when I came across what was first assumed to be a mirage – a hand-painted sign that read “Humanitarian Aid Station.” And yet sure enough, just a few yards up the path there was a tent by the wayside – a tent watched over by donativo hospitalero Manuel (a member of the famed Order of Malta, I believe – a community of dedicated servants who have been caring for wayfaring pilgrims for hundreds of years) and a tent under which were stored a plethora of gifts for wandering mendicants like myself. And it was here that I was offered not only coffee and vegan dark chocolate, but fruits & vegan cereal bars and even fresh-squeezed orange juice to boot! And the gentle kindness with which it was all offered – without even the faintest hint of expectation or judgment, and without even the faintest inclination to holding back. Manuel simply listened and encouraged and honored and gave – and then offered more – and more – and more again. I turned down most of the same, of course, preferring instead to revel in “just enough” and leave any further generosities to be offered to those arriving subsequently. And yet even though I did not partake of even a small portion of all that was available, the Kindness with which I was showered rested soundly in my Soul, and I left that station feeling fully refreshed and energized, with all the despair and fatigue and sadness lifted fully from the same.

“For a single man practicing kindness in the wilderness is worth more than all the temples this world otherwise pulls.” ~ via Jack Kerouac

Filed under: Peace Pilgrimage #02: Walking HOME (2019) by Scaughdt