Some journeys are suitable to be undertaken alone. However, for the most exciting and uncertain journeys in our lives, we need friends to accompany us along the way. Traveling companions bring security, share our experiences, hold places in our stories, inspire us to get going, mark out the paths ahead, and remind us of the goals of the journey.
Our history of the faith provides us many traveling companions for the spiritual journey. Some companions are with us for short trips, some for longer excursions. All traveling companions are friends, even if they lived in a different country, century, or culture..
Some of my elder spiritual friends include: the woman at the well; Abba Anthony; Saint Francis; Teresa of Avila; Saint John of the Cross; Saint Ignatius, Brother Lawrence; and Saint Benedict.
Other, more contemporary traveling companions you might more readily recognize: Thomas Merton; Henri Nouwen; Brennan Manning; John Wesley; John O’Donohue; Rich Mullins; Dorothy Day; Brene Brown; Richard Rohr, and Ruth Haley Barton.
Some of these companions are among the crowd of witnesses who surround us (Hebrews 12:1). Others are living next door. What marks them is an insatiable craving for the love of God to infuse their souls. They love others without stopping to ask about politics, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation. And they’ve walked with God long enough to provide insight and truth in our journey today.
You’ll know you’re encountering a good traveling companion when that person inspires, challenges, encourages, and offers hope. They drip with honesty and authenticity. They are transparent because they know they are God’s Beloved–and that’s all that matters. They might even cuss a little bit.
Scan through a timeline of your faith formation. Which traveling companions have been with you thus far on your spiritual journey? What role did they play in your life? How did they inform, inspire, or share love in your life?
Take a moment to pray, asking God to bring new traveling companions into your life. You might be surprised by who starts walking with you.
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