“What I want in my life is to be willing to be dazzled—

To cast aside the weight of facts

and maybe even to float a little above this difficult world.

I want to believe I am looking into the white fire of a great mystery.”

Neil Diamond’s song “Play Me” is one of the purest examples of mystical poetry and experience I know.

“One regret that I am determined not to have when I am lying upon my death bed

Is that we did not kiss enough.”

“I was invited to a fancy event and when I got there one of the guests said, “Tukaram, your shirt is on backwards and so are your pants.”

“I and the Father are one.”

Jesus in John 10: 30 of the Christian scriptures

“You might quiet the whole world for a second if you pray.

And if you love, if you really love, our guns will wilt.”

‘Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, “You owe me.”

Look what happens with a love like that—it lights the whole world.’

Take ten minutes and breath deeply. Ask the “soft animal of your body” what it really needs right now.

“For you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”

Genesis 3: 19 from the Hebrew Scriptures

This year I will attempt to honor both by using the Christian practice of Lent to offer musings based in the mystical experience and writings.

Christendom, the marriage between Christianity and cultural and political power is definitely dying.

“Before Christianity was a rich and powerful religion, before it was associated with buildings, budgets, crusades, colonialism, or televangelism, it began as a revolutionary non-violent movement promoting a new kind of aliveness on the margins of society.” Brian McClaren

Somewhere in my unconscious I still thought I could enjoy the benefits of Christendom and have both a church pulpit and a community pulpit.

There was already a crack in Christendom. I just was able to cheat it for one very short four-year period.

So…..it is no surprise that Christian nationalism is trying to fill the vacuum and Donald J. Trump is taking advantage of this historic opportunity…

Today, I am announcing that a book under a working title, “Rome to Rumi: Recovering the Mystical Tradition from Christendom” is in the works.

I end this “Whispers from the Camino” with the words and the link to my “pilgrim song.” In many ways it captures so much of what I experienced on the Camino. Thank you for taking this “little walk” with me.

I expected this to be the final day on the Camino trail. With just less than 20 kilometers and an early start I anticipated getting into Santiago de Campostelo by about noon.

It felt harsh. But I knew the story. In my early 20’s I had to make a decision—either allow my childhood trauma to dictate my life or take action to create the life I wanted.

I didn’t know where this would take me, but I did know that I couldn’t waste any more energy trying to fit in.