Metaphor, Metaphor

Metaphor is that literary form that has meaning beyond itself.  Walking down the Camino is a festival of metaphors; metaphors that point to the path of life.  The way to preserver as you walk continually each day is to simply focus on each step with head down and pace constant.  Every once in a while you raise your head to look for markers to keep you on the intended path; but then return to pace and position looking at the path as you traverse it.  What you see is metaphor.  

You see patterns of treads from thousands of hiking shoes and boots of all kinds and brands.  You see only the partial and never a consistent whole.  Each tread is overcome and replaced by the one that came after it. You see patterns of treads of bicycle tires more consistent than shoes and boots; but also quickly over ridden by another.  You see metaphors for people whose lives are both independent and intertwined by the path of their lives on the Camino.  You see a metaphor for all of our lives; intertwined, independent; overlapping and yet a community at the same time.  

The Camino is scenic at times; taking the pilgrim down lanes of isolated nature in woods and fields and conveying peace.  The Camino is challenging at times demanding the assent of remote paths into the hills and mountains and yielding breath taking moments as the reward is peering out over vistas of vast beauty. The Camino is routine at times as the path partners its way along the highways of commerce that scream with the noise of trucks and autos. The Camino is grotesque at times as the path takes the pilgrim past industrial areas, waster areas, even garbage dumps.  To whatever view the Camino takes the pilgrim the role of the pilgrim is simply to give thanks and place their gaze to the next placement of the next step given the ability to make the same from God. 

In micro as one contemplates each step or in macro as one contemplates settings or context of multiple steps or the path as a totality it is metaphor; a metaphor of the gift of life in its beauty, it's routine or even its ugliness.  It is a gift from God.  It is the reality and the gift of life the path we walk today in the sure and certain hope of the path to come where by grace we will step.