The content of a ‘walk of wisdom’

As a pioneer of the Walk of Wisdom , I am pleased with the incipient success of our pioneering route around Nijmegen. However, some sensitive people ask me: what about the content? I’m grateful for that question. It gives me reason to tell something about the idea behind the route and at the same time is an invitation to make full use of the route itself as a ‘way in’ instead of just being busy with organizing.

The content of the Walk of Wisdom comes from the pilgrims themselves. In my opinion, the time of a Truth in which we must all believe is over. The history of the search for that Truth has yielded not only a treasure trove of noble ideas, but also a horrifying mass grave of people who have been sacrificed in the name of such Truth.

The future of spirituality, I believe, lies in the freedom to seek your own truth. That freedom is inextricably linked to respect for the quest of others. You can’t want to decide for yourself what makes life worth living without giving others that space as well. The content of the Walk of Wisdom can therefore not be filled in by our foundation; This would be at the expense of the pilgrims’ freedom to determine their own content.

I try to express that freedom and respect in our symbols and customs. I’m thinking of the icon of Huub and Adelheid Kortekaas, which depicts man as a ‘seedling of the earth’, each with its own unique germination capacity. Every human being has a path to go that is meaningful. In the delusion of the day, that meaning is all too quickly filled in by others: your environment, your work, the media. The Walk of Wisdom is an invitation to pave the way for how you value life itself.

But with only freedom and respect you don’t get a pilgrimage route with ‘a soul’. That soul is in the connection with nature and people on the route. You don’t need elaborate stories for that. With an impressively beautiful route, a few symbols and concrete actions and a clear dream, you can make that connection felt. The dream is a global route that connects all countries. The symbols are not only the icon of Huub and Adelheid, but also the pilgrim’s lace, where you string the bird rings of the municipalities one by one. And the deeds include cleaning up litter along the route through Actie Schone Waal, the organization of the Peace Week and the theme of the upcoming Summer Pilgrimage: ‘love for the landscape’ with a sponsored run for nature and cultural landscape projects along the route. 

All things considered, there is a truth or ‘faith’ at the heart of the Walk of Wisdom. That is the belief that the balance between freedom, respect and belonging is a path to a meaningful life. What that balance looks like is different for every person and probably every phase of life, but I think it is a wise insight that this balance matters.

Mariken, my story: a substantive preparation 

I’m going to walk the route myself in the week from Saturday 26 March to take stock for myself. To get the most out of the ritual possibilities, I am currently preparing. I already have the theme of my trip: the story of Mariken van Nimwegen.

In the medieval comedy, Mariken lived with the devil for seven years and then broke with him. The devil dragged her high above the Stevens Church and threw her down. She survived Wonderdel and went on a pilgrimage, in search of – according to the translation by Ben Dirks and Marjolein Pieks – her own story. The Stevenskerk is the starting point of our route and a statue of Mariken is nearby, on the Grote Markt. At the end of the route, a statue of the devil, Moenen, lurks.

I will write something about my preparation soon: Mariken, my story. Not as Truth, but as an outpouring in the hope that others will also dare to share something of their ‘content’. Who knows, maybe we can learn something from each other.

To be continued. 

With warm pioneer greetings,
6 February 2016, Damiaan

Image: Butterflies, by Marjoke Schulten, a miniature in a series of five for Seasons of Life

Photo icon and pilgrim hands, Stevenskerk, Jan Heijmans