Dear Friend,

You asked me about the book “Miracle on the Camino” and why I wrote it. I will give a short explanation…it was my second year in grad school, and one of my professors invited me to participate in a Spiritual Pilgrimage class. One of the requirements for the class was to go on a legitimate pilgrimage, and it just so happened that my Dad, my brother Jes, and I were already planning on embarking on the Camino De Santiago in Spain. The pilgrimage class invitation was more than divine timing. I signed up for the class with a heart and mind to learn as much as possible. Little did I know, I was entering into a life-changing season, far more gut-wrenching, heart-repairing, and soul re-arranging than I ever dreamt; I had no clue what a spiritual pilgrimage could do to one's life. And…I had to write a thesis on my pilgrimage, which evolved into a book.

The more I studied about pilgrimages, the more I discovered that a pilgrim is someone willing to endure a so-called negative experience (physically, spiritually, and possibly emotionally) to discover or gain a positive (spiritual) experience. My Dad, brother Jes, and I were intrigued with the idea of embarking on a journey to a sacred site or even engaging in an experience that can be labeled an apophatic experience.

Apophatic experience is when God is found in the negative, or more knowledge of Him is obtained in negation. It is when the negative can bring a more positive light to who God is.

The Camino or a pilgrimage could be apophatic because of the pain the body feels after so many miles. When a pilgrim is determined to push through mile after mile, day after day, till they reach the sacred destination, there is a real possibility the pilgrim will live through moments relying on God, trusting God, seeking God, seeing God, and ultimately, knowing God.

Another example of an apophatic experience is when, while managing pain, we experience a profound sense of our humanity that brings a new view of God into focus.

It could be when we have one of those mysteriously challenging negative moments, and suddenly, God is more present. There are times when the dark valleys or times of pain management cause us to redefine our reasoning for life. Everything we believe and know must be considered and defined in our pursuit of relief.

The negative moments in life push us to confront ourselves, look in the mirror, and ask,

Can I go forward?
What’s the right thing to do?
How will I ever heal from this?
Or who is this God I trust and worship?
Did I believe a myth, or is it all true?

When the pain, lethargy, or intense curiosity reaches a certain level, we usually consciously or subconsciously conclude that we need an encounter with God and now, not later. There are times we discover more knowledge of God through the negative, which can result in transforming positivity. For some seekers like myself we realize He is our all in all: the Logos, The Word, The Divine reason. Alpha. Omega. Emmanuel.

In my forty-nine years of living on this planet, I have witnessed people’s relationship with Christ deepen when they walk through something that could be labeled as a negative experience. Often, they are not even aware of it happening. Experiencing God in something deemed negative reminds me of when my friend was walking through cancer. He seemed to have found the secret to peace. Or when my friend lost her husband abruptly, leaving her with three very young boys, she could testify that, through the debilitating pain, she found Christ to be present “and faithful. She claimed He was not a far-off God but, rather, near and accessible. Sometimes, it does take some negativity in human experience to light up the positivity of being known, loved, and seen by a God who is the God of all comfort.

In the negative, we have the opportunity to see the true nature of God, which always has and will always be Love.

Love that is with, not distant.
Love that is purposeful, not shallow.
Love that is aware, not preoccupied.
Love that is eternal, not mortal.
Love that gives reason.

Letter One

Letter Two