In years gone by, the coming of spring heralded a new pilgrim season – in the part of Herefordshire where I’m based, pilgrims would have been a regular sight visiting the first shrine of St Ethelbert the King, located in St Mary’s Church, Marden, prior to his remains being moved to Hereford Cathedral. 

At the end of February, I begin a period of extended ministerial study leave – an opportunity to rest, recharge and undertake study to support my ministry and calling.  I will be looking into the role place and memory plays in spiritual relationships – including the growing number of visitors making the pilgrimage to the Western Front each year.

A significant part of this will be walking the ancient pilgrim route from Canterbury to Rome, the Via Francigena.  I plan to begin walking on Easter Tuesday and by the end of May when my study leave draws to a close, I should be in Switzerland, or even on the edge of Italy.

It is a huge privilege to be able to take this time, partly to my own journey so far, and to see what might await. 

And why loafing? We hurry too much nowadays. The opportunity to gently loaf through Europe, reflects Japanese theologian Kosuke Koyama’s view on God’s speed, not ours. In his book Three Mile an Hour God, Koyama writes:

“Love has its speed. It is a spiritual speed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed. It goes on in the depth of our life, whether we notice or not, at three miles an hour. It is the speed we walk and therefore the speed the love of God walks.”

I’d like to spend more time at this speed, be sustained, and share my thoughts and experiences along the way.

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