Hospitality on the Road

 "Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place." (Henri Nouwen) 

We continue our pilgrimage through many villages, towns, communities, schools, cultural centres, forests, highways, country roads and mountains. The past two weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions and challenges. I find it hard to express in words what we have faced as a group from the heartbreaking moment of losing Alan, our fellow pilgrim, to moments of hope and comfort as we are surrounded by so much support; our bonds of friendship and community deepen. This week we crossed into the Czech Republic from Slovakia. Since I last posted we have also walked across parts of Slovenia and Austria. The temperature has dropped dramatically and the lack of daylight is becoming more of a challenge. There is so much to say but for now I want to simply write about hospitality.

In each place that we stop we are hosted usually by a local faith community in either a parish centre, the local priest's house, schools or with host families. Occasionally we also avail of the wonderful community of couch surfing. In these spaces we have been treated so warmly, our every

need met. We experience the best of food and refreshments, warm comfortable places to sleep, hot  showers at the end of a 25-30km walk, somewhere to rest to recharge our bodies and our phones. There are two parts to each day of this pilgrimage, the walking and the resting. While resting we are also working as we often say that while the physical destination of this pilgrimage is Katowich and COP24, the true destination is the minds and hearts of the people we meet. In our resting we engage often on a deep level with those we encounter whether it be at a presentation or event or around the table of our host community. The conversations are not always easy, climate justice brings its complications and as it is a topic which ultimately will effect the lifestyles of people all across the world, it can be difficult. For those who find this topic baffling and unsettling they still listen attentively to our stories and our purpose. There is a space created that oozes a generosity of food and other necessities but also of listening and a desire to understand why on earth we would walk such a distance.



I'd like to share a few memorable experiences of hospitality so far:
In the village of Kuty in Slovakia we arrived after a day's walking to a wonderful welcome in the local church where young people dressed in traditional costumes and parishioners came out on a coldSunday afternoon to sing for us and pray with us. Earlier that day Fr. Francis, the parish priest, and a group of young people came to meet us while we were 11km out from the village and walked with us. It was a lovely gesture of solidarity and welcome. We were then treated to a total feast of food, drinks, laughter and song. It was our last night in Slovakia and the parish of Kuty made sure we had a good send off. On this journey our hosts remind us that we walk for everyone, for those who perhaps would love this opportunity and who want their voices heard yet cannot join us.



In Vienna, Austrian President Alexandre Van der Bellen welcomed us to the presidential palace. He walked with us in the People's Park as we experienced the first snowfall of the Winter. President Vanderbellen showed us around his very impressive office, spent time with us for photographs and wished us well for our journey to Katowich. It was a fantastic gesture of solidarity at State level. All the Climate Pilgrims were given a packed lunch for our ongoing journey which contained the most delicious bar of chocolate I have ever had. I should probably have a different highlight from that presidential audience than the chocolate, but it was seriously good. Joking aside, it was an honour for this pilgrimage to be acknowledged in such a way.



President Vanderbellen is one of 15 heads of state who this week put their names to a joint declaration ahead of COP24. I'm proud to say our own President Michael D Higgins has also signed his name to the declaration which states: "We appeal to the International Community and to all Parties to the Paris Agreement: Let us act jointly, decisively and swiftly to stop the global climate crisis. We call for a successful outcome at COP 24 in Katowice that will bring the Paris Agreement to life through the adoption of detailed operational rules and guidelines on all elements in the Paris Agreement Work Programme." You can read the 15 point declaration here. We were very happy to be hosted by President Vanderbellen, so far the only head of state who was available to meet with us.

Another memorable host this week was in the town of Vyskov in the Czech Republic when we stayed in a local Christian organisation's gym. The care taker was a lovely man called Jaromir who didn't speak English but his kindness spoke more to us than anything. Before we left he gave us each a special candle and a bottle of something to keep us warm, for medicinal purposes of course.

These are only some examples of the generous hospitality we experience each evening. Each meal we eat feels like a very special communion, especially when someone opens their home to complete strangers on the road. I have experienced such kindness and openness on this journey. Without these hosts, our pilgrimage would not be possible. We rely on the generosity of strangers and it is a lesson in letting go. We joke that this has become the food pilgrimage as we sample delicious local cuisine from the four countries we have travelled through. Welcoming strangers is a wonderful gift to give. It encourages me to be grateful every day for all that we receive and in a strange way has helped to melt away insecurities and worries that I might carry on the road. Each morning as we walk I am moved to a space of gratitude for what we have received from our hosts.In return I hope I will always be able to open my home to those who need space to rest.

"Anytime we practice hospitality we follow in the footsteps of our lavishly hospitable God."

(from The Simplest Way to Change the World)

"Then they told what had happened on the road, and how Jesus had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread." (Luke 24:35)

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