I then walked through a series of smaller townships where the overwhelming stench coming from more than a few of my enslaved & abused (and very soon to be brutally murdered) bovine friends was far too thick for any sense of Peace to settle, much less any reasonable pilgrimage-pause to be made. And it was then, as I was exiting the far outskirts of the very last of these torturous townships (Santa Marina), that my Italian friend Riccardo (first met a week prior back in Pieros) called out too me from a wayside bar/hostel and beckoned for me to come inside and sit with him awhile. Our language barrier was as thick as ever, and yet with the help of his phone’s rudimentary translator software we were able to converse amicably enough about The Way in general and our respective walks more specifically. He then found out during our chat that I hadn’t eaten anything at all that day so far (he, like so many, ended up asking how I continue to survive without using any money) and he then sweetly offered to feed me a small but gratefully received repast of an apple and a few pieces of jam-smeared toast. Several fellow pilgrims sitting nearby witnessed this gracious gesture and themselves began asking about my Walk, allowing me to witness powerfully to them as well …

“That’s what Love does – it opens its arms to everyone, even to those who are choosing to not be so lovable at all … In truth, our humanity might indeed express itself in varied forms &means – different values and different allegiances and different religions and different languages, and yet when we peel away our more superficial layers there resides within us all something of the same glimmering Soul – a Soul that is equal parts frightened and bold; a Soul that is trying to find a safe place to lay itself down – a safe place where it can then risk everything to all nearby in need” ~ inspired by Deb Caletti & Craig Lounsbrough

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