Day 099j: The Good that lives in All … (July 22, 2019)
The walking is once again smoother thereafter, and I made it quite fluifldy into the lovely hamlet of St. Xulian, where I stopped in at the wayside Albergue O’Abrigaderiro to thank the current proprietors there for the kindness their predecessors had shown me some eleven years prior (during my last Camino pilgrimage). And it turned out that the timing of said stopover was once more spot-on, as the current owner of the establishment (Ovidio) was in an obviously angry state – having become severly jaded by “all the rude pilgrims” he had encountered over the years. And so it was that I showered him with attention & compassion & kindness – and so it was that he loosened up enough to offer me “whatever you want – a water, perhaps?” – and so it was that I powerfully witnessed to the selfless Way by gently declining his offer; encouraging (and possibly one day in-Couraging) him to once more See the Good that in truth resides within all others – even those who are broke and haggard and in need …
“I believe that the first test of any Great Man is an effusion of humility. And by humility I don’t mean self-denigration or a doubting of his power. No, in truth I mean almost the opposite – I mean a humility whereby really Great Men have a curious knowing that their greatness is not of them at all, but rather flows through them ‘from above’ during all moments of gentleness & generosity. These are the ones who See something deeply divine in every other sentient being, and as such these are the ones who are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful towards the same.” ~ inspired by John Ruskin
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