The Roman Road

The Camino de Santiago is old, like really old. Many of its paths actually date back to the Romans in the first century ad coming out of Puente Laina and walking to Estia. You can notice the remains of the Roman roads for much of the day, and it has me thinking about the intersection of the five kilometer hour, God and forgiveness. See, the Bible talks about a God who is close to us as humans, precisely because he himself became human and lived as we do. God has always been with humanity since time began, but at the pinnacle of this is found in Jesus Christ who lived among us. He experienced learning a language, scraping his knee, the joy of a good meal, laughing at jokes, weddings, funerals, and even racism and abuses of power. Jesus, on the day of his death, carried his own cross and walked a Roman road to his own crucifixion. Why forgiveness? Life grace to establish a kingdom. Our souls long for Jesus became a pilgrim along a Roman road, very similar to this one. He was a pilgrim to the point of death. In fact, he was executed during a pilgrim celebration. He died so that we might have life. He knows what it feels like to have these stones under your feet. He knows what it feels like to be betrayed. He knows what it means to thirst and to long for something more. If anyone ever had a justification for withholding forgiveness, it's Jesus, and yet he forgives God, our deliverer as you led our ancestors through the wilderness. So lead us through the wilderness of this world. As you walked these ancient roads, let us not forget that you know our struggle. May we receive comfort knowing that you have walked as we have walked these stones serve as a reminder that it is through Jesus Christ and his life that we are saved, but because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace that you have been saved. Ephesians two, four through five.