First pilgrim has registered
Jan Veltman from Baarn is the very first pilgrim ever to sign up to make a ‘walk of wisdom’.
Jan will be one of the first to receive our icon at the opening on 21 June
Pilgrim
pinned by the mayor of Nijmegen Bruls and the entire Stevenskerk will wave him goodbye. That means that there are still 74 starting tickets left for that day. Jan is also the first to receive a copy of our pilgrim’s Book of Hours. Seasons of Life Ordered.
Photo: Jan (right) on a previous pilgrimage If you also want to be part of the first 75,you can sign up here. Would you like to attend the opening ceremony – free of charge? Sign up here.
Below is a report of a test walk by Jan, who helps us wholeheartedly with the development of the route.
On Sunday, March 22, 6 volunteers each walked part of the new pilgrimage route ” Walk of Wisdom”. Of the 136 km, about 100 km was run that Sunday. The remaining kilometers of the pilgrimage have now also been walked. A critical assessment of the description was the goal of this trial walk. The description was clear and lucid to most pilgrims.
As one of these participants, I have described below an impression of my trial walk from Ravenstein to Afferden of about 25 km.
My starting point was early on Sunday morning in the beautiful fortified town near the station of Ravenstein. It was cold with quite a bit of wind but at least dry. Later in the day the sun started to shine. Walked over the cobblestones in peace and enjoyed the authentic houses, the Mill and the R.C. church. On the Maaspoort when leaving Ravenstein, my eye fell on a beautiful text “standing still, being still, is not lost time”. Via the Veersingel we again enjoyed the beautiful floodplains of the Maas with a view of the bridge over the A50 motorway.
Walking across this bridge with a strong cold wind in my face, I heard, despite this early Sunday morning, the raging traffic coming towards me. Very soon I arrived in the village of Niftrik and visited the Church of St. Damian and had a chat with the sexton, who was ringing the bells. A real Sunday morning feeling.
Further through the village I experienced the silence and tranquility and then realized that the traffic roar of the A50 was a metaphor of contemporary times for me. A time of everything has to be done quickly and we are all busy. The tranquility of the village was exactly the environment where a pilgrim feels at home.
Around 4.30 pm I arrived in Afferden, and then took the bus back to Nijmegen. My impression was that the part of my walked route has come across as very varied to me, largely due to nature and many relaxing paths. Walking alone, but also those special encounters, again such a contrast in addition to hearing and seeing the traffic noise and then experiencing the peace and quiet.
For me, pilgrimage is not only the peace and encounters, but also meaningful thinking and that’s how I came up with the ideas of the “Walk of Wisdom”. In recent months, I have attended several lectures and courses on meaningful topics. The foundation of the “Walk of Wisdom” has many points in common with, among others, the book by Jan Rotmans, “Nederland Kantelt” in which major changes will take place in the Netherlands, comparable to the industrial revolution in the2nd half of the 19th century. In the lecture “how sustainable is Shakespeare”, Klaas van Egmond explained in a clear and lucid but also sometimes humorous way the connection between the inside and outside of sustainability and places it in the continuous development process in which the world is constantly moving. My impression is that many events are interrelated.
It was in those perspectives that I made a connection with the “Walk of Wisdom”. A new way of pilgrimage based on the idea that all people are part of the same life on earth. All independent of culture or ideology. It is based on the values of authenticity, diversity and also sustainability.
The existing and centuries-old pilgrimage routes to Santiago, Rome and Jerusalem were mainly aimed at penance or repentance, especially Santiago. In contemporary times, it is also often focused on other aspects of life. In summary, the “Walk of Wisdom” for me, that day, was a way of thinking and also acting on social parts of our society, which are gradually changing.
Finally, just a few texts from “a spiritual travel guide for the pilgrim”, which for me have a connection with my thinking during this pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage is
Reflecting on the essence of life while walking
Roads shape us
Make your steps danceEvery day is a journey
And the journey itself is my homeThe road is one of venture and trust
The magic of the pilgrimage
has many faces.
Jan Veltman
