The Rock

I traveled to Portugal and Spain to go on a hiking trip with 14 other people and two guides. We hiked on one of the trails of the Camino de Santiago. Camino de Santiago has several trails that all lead to what is believed to be the final resting place of the Apostle James, one of Christ’s disciples. The different trails represent the various starting points for pilgrims throughout Spain and Portugal. Pilgrims started traveling to Santiago in the 9th century.

During one of our group conversations, and I have no clue why, I blurted out the phrase, “Get busy living or get busy dying”. I saw the phrase on a man’s shirt while walking through an airport and I felt compelled to repeat it. I was asked to repeat the phrase several times throughout our trip.

While I was sitting in the back of a van with another hiker, she asked me to remind her of the phrase. So I repeated it. What I realized at that point is that this phrase had a more meaningful impactful than I originally thought. Maybe someone in the group had lost their spouse and now they were struggling where life is taking them. I cannot imagine being with someone for many years and then being alone again. We all fall into the rut at some point in our life when we feel like we're just existing instead of living.

On the Camino website it is said that the primary reason many people walk on the Camino de Santiago is not so much about religious reasons anymore; it’s about life. There is a tradition to pick up a rock at the beginning of the hike that represents a personal burden, and at some point along the trail the person is to lay the rock down and walk away to represent that they have freed themselves of the burden.

So let’s think about the phrase, “Get busy living or get busy dying.” This famous line was spoken by Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, in the movie The Shawshank Redemption. Andy spoke these words to Ellis “Red” Redding, played by Morgan Freeman. If you have not watched the movie, I recommend that you do; it’s a great movie

Andy was sent to prison for the murder of his wife and another man, which he did not commit. Red admitted to his guilt of murdering another man and accepted his prison sentence. Andy asked Red to smuggle some tools into the prison, alluding to the fact he wanted to escape. Andy felt he had paid his price in prison beyond the wrongs of his life, and he now wanted to be free. Red tried to dissuade Andy of his plan because, if he was caught, the penalty would be harsh. However, Andy tried to convince Red to leave as well, but Red was reserved with the thought of leaving the prison; he was comfortable. He was the man other prisoners relied on to bring contraband into the prison. Red felt he had purpose for his life in prison; but on the outside he was afraid he would be nobody. So Andy said to Red, “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

And so what did the hike ultimately represent to me? At first it was just another place for me to travel and go hiking. However, the trip turned out to be something more to me; it became a commitment. I realized for me it is not about letting go of a rock, it is about picking up a rock and carrying it the full length of the journey.

The original pilgrims of the past did not have all the comforts on the trail like we have available to us. The trail for them was unsafe, it was harsh, food was scarce, water was scarce, shoes weren't the best quality, there were no comfortable places to sleep, no daily showers, suffered injuries without medical resources, and most importantly, it required grit and determination. The pilgrims accepted these difficult burdens as part of their travels. For them, the journey was about faith; a difficult faith journey. It was not about giving up burdens; it was about accepting burdens.

So for me, picking up a rock builds strength so we are able to toss the devil off our back who tempts us to remain in this place. The rock becomes our determination to stay focused on our journey towards life by rejecting the ways of the world. And finally, the rock represents our fortitude to withstand the wiles of the devil.

And after our final step is taken, our rock becomes the tool we use to break down the prison door so we are able to finally walk outside the walls of this prison; and by doing so, we deny death. We then will be free to live our true life with Christ, our Lord, in the Kingdom of God.

all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
–1 Corinthians 10:3-4