He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Pilgrim Journey
This is a baffling photo, taken in the seaside suburb of Porto in Portugal, unless you understand the context. Many locally will recognise the man’s surname is Stamp, so the photo was taken partly as a joke. His expression reflects the fact that he thought he was heading for cocktails at the cafe, not posing for obscure snaps! My main motive however, was the shell symbol, because the tourist office on which it appears was not advertising postage stamps, but the opportunity to stamp pilgrim’s passports for the Camiño de Santiago. This pilgrimage, which attracted a record 437,507 pilgrims in 2022, ends at the great cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. One of the authorized routes is through Portugal and pilgrims use these scallop shell signs along the route.
Today’s verse is about our pilgrim journey through life, our walk with the Lord. Sometimes ‘require’ is translated as ‘desire’ which makes more sense. God is not laying down necessary steps for salvation (which we would all fail) but guidelines for living fulfilled lives. As we contemplate the coming Christ Child this Advent let us remember He is the Way, the Truth and the Life- he walks beside us to help us act justly, kindly and with humility. What does the Lord desire for you this Advent?
Gill