4/29/26 Entry #9 Assigned Reading

 Redick, Kip. American Camino: Walking as Spiritual Practice on the Appalachian Trail. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2023. 


The connection between wilderness and spirituality is a very clear and timeless example of the importance of the natural world. I grew up as a Christian so I was aware of Jesus’ 40 days and 40 nights spent in the wilderness, I remember distinctly that it was a transformative experience for him. This point was made clear by the numerous examples laid out in the reading, from Moses, to John the Baptist, and the history of the Camino de Santiago. Celtic culture revered the same locations of the later Christian movement. Humans have always searched for a commune with the spiritual world and certain places make this process possible. Personally, I find desert environments extremely humbling and eerie. They can also be uplifting, in an area so devoid of life, stumbling on a single plant or a solitary lizard can highlight the resilience of life even in the face of overwhelming obstacles. 

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