Today’s walk through the Galician countryside was again idyllic. With only 5 days left…we are taking more time to soak in the atmosphere. It is easy to understand why folks born here would never want to leave the beauty and pace of life.
The overcast weather created scenes and shadows that led us to get into yet another debate on movies…namely “Best Robin Hood Movies”. After a quick (but under my protest) dismissal of Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood – Men in Tights”, it came down to the 1991 Kevin Costner version versus the 2010 Russell Crowe vehicle. And after strident point-counterpoint…the winner is….
The path today was suddenly busy with many more new pilgrims either with too much energy…or not enough preparation. I soon began complaining like I have in the past when walking up from the bottom of the Grand Canyon…when we run into day hikers that do not know to yield to the dirty, tired, grumpy uphill climbers.
Just as I was about to say multiple unkind things about these new latecomers to the Camino…Sarah reminded me of the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew: 20). This is the one where a landowner went out to hire workers for his vineyard starting at 9am, agreeing to pay them one denarius (probably equal to a Canadian loonie or .0001 bitcoin today). Seeing the need for more work in the vineyard, the landowner hired more laborers at noon, 3pm and again at 5pm. When evening came, the landowner paid the workers hired at 5pm one denarius each, as he did the workers hired at 3pm and noon…and…also those hired at 9am. Now, as you might expect, the folks hired at 9am were a bit testy about this, but the landowner said, “I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?”
When Sarah reminded me of this parable…I immediately thought 3 things…1) I knew she was going to remind me of this parable (I walked right into it), 2) I have always disliked this parable (fairness issues…probably going back to having four brothers) and c) The parable is right. We are all doing our best to get to the same place. How or when we get there is not that important…can more of us get there? So the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. Yes…I was much more pleasant to my fellow pilgrims the rest of the day.
This area of Galicia really transports you back to an earlier agrarian lifestyle. Yesterday…it was horses running through the streets…check out the following video of our encounter today with a farmer moving a group of cows down the lane. Do not focus on my momentary flirtation with being gored…check out the dog at the end of the parade. Old..slightly lame…still doing his job.
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First Sarah reminds me of the parable…then this dog walks right by me without complaint…the Camino is one big guilt trip. 🙂
To leave you on one more, possibly lighter note…we also ran into this character today by the side of the road.(click on video)
Great pictures and video clips today! Definitely different scenery from earlier in the trip. Several funny things about today’s post, 1)the pictures look like the forest from Princess Bride, so I am glad you didn’t run into any ROUS (Rodents of Unusual Size), b)I very much dislike that parable as well, so I will continue to complain about the day hikers at the Grand Canyon, and 3)I love the jump between numbering and lettering complaints!
Jim, kudos for being the first to notice the numbering/lettering jump. I loved using this construction in presentations. Also liked holding up 4 fingers when saying “I have 3 key points”.
Glad you’re being kind to the “latecomers”. Due to time constraints, we will probably need to do some variation of a lazy man’s Camino from Sarria.
Dear pilgrims, from your reflections today we are left with:
1-The allusions to the landscape, beautiful and their animals, all very evocative, which we think is coming to you well to counteract the tremendous weariness that you drag.
2-Undoubtedly the parable that Sarah explains is very complex and raises very deep moral and justice issues, …, and that is that the Justice of God, is far above that of men and in many cases we do not reach understand it, or at least, we think.
On the other hand, we are already counting the hours for the reunion in Castañeda.
Good rest !!