Featured image: These boots were made for climbing to the castle on St Michael’s Mount, a happily shared physical challenge and spiritual experience.
Cogitation 15 Saturday 14 April 2018 Fifty miles on foot made for a rewarding week with first-time visitors to Cornwall, Dean and Gwen Preheim-Bartel.
Welcome to virtual, boots off, steps through our week, with this quote from G.K. Chesterton: “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land–it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.”
Where to start? The photo of the four of us was taken on our descent from the Castle on St Michael’s Mount. The stile crossing was on the walk from Hell’s Mouth to Godrevy Café. We reached some of the starting points by taxi or train, and took a coach to The Lost Gardens of Heligan.
Our walks took us sightseeing, to lunch, a bit of shopping, church, Truro Cathedral, and simply exploring nooks and crannies we’ve come to love in this area of Cornwall.
“Walk and be happy, walk and be healthy.” Charles Dickens
More photos of our walks
A magical island, once a monastery, a fortress, a country house
Insects, birds, and animals, most at Heligan
Patches of beauty round about
A prayer
Former Bishop of Oxford John Pritchard compiled a booklet, Pocket Prayers for Troubled Times (Church House Publishing, 2009).
Pritchard noted that the Psalms, especially 6, 51, 55 and 69 “all speak in fierce honesty from dark places. Those of a nervous disposition may want to brace themselves before trying Psalm 58!”
He added, “When we think ourselves alone in our desert experiences, we may well find that the psalmist is a good companion. . . . The bottom line is that Jesus has promised: ‘I will be with you always, to the end of the age.'”
Further, “For all life’s beauty and fascination, none of us go through life unscathed. We all bear the scars of bad experiences, whether they be of illness, unemployment, financial anxiety, damaged relationships, or even global insecurity.”
I conclude with a prayer by Henri Nouwen that speaks to our global insecurity.
Dear Lord,
give us new prophets who can speak openly,
directly, convincingly, and lovingly
to kings, presidents, religious leaders,
and all men and women of good will,
prophets who can make us wage peace instead of war.
Lord, make haste to help us.
Do not come too late!
Amen.
John
It's About Now 
These patha are for the young; or the young at heart. Thanks for allowing us to tag along. I’m glad you know the way home. I’m going to start saving my pennies to buy a ticket to Cornwall. I’m sure Dean and Gwen are grateful for friends John and Marty.
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