The Quiet Way of Pilgrimage – Setting Out
There is a quiet holiness in the moment before we begin.
To stand at the threshold of a journey—at the gates of St. Jean Pied de Port, for instance in the early morning coldness—is to feel the weight of decision settle into the soul. The air is cool, the pack is heavy, and the path ahead disappears into the hills. You haven’t taken a step yet, but something sacred is already happening.
Setting off is more than physical movement. It is an inner letting go. To begin a pilgrimage—any pilgrimage—is to say: I will not stay where I am. It is to release the need for certainty and take hold, however loosely, of trust. The first step says, I don’t know what I’ll find, but I believe something awaits me on the road.
This is the kind of step Abraham took when God said to him, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you”(Genesis 12:1, NIV). There was no map. No arrival date. No yellow arrows to follow. Only a call—and the courage to answer. His pilgrimage began not with clarity, but with obedience.
To set off is to leave behind the familiar: comforts, routines, roles we’ve grown used to. Often, it means leaving behind our fears, our expectations, even our need for control. Pilgrimage asks us to travel light—not just in luggage, but in spirit. And while we may feel unready, it is in the setting off that readiness is born.
The Camino reminds us that nothing dramatic needs to happen in that first hour. There are no trumpets. No applause. Just quiet footsteps, a path, and the presence of God. But that moment—the first step—is full of possibility. It is where transformation begins.
Jesus, too, set His face toward Jerusalem, fully aware of what awaited Him (Luke 9:51). His journey was not without cost, but He walked it with unwavering purpose. Every meaningful journey begins with intention—and often with surrender.
Perhaps God is calling you to set off in some way. Not necessarily to another country or distant road, but into a new season of faith, a deeper trust, a fresh commitment. The important thing is not how far you go, but that you begin.
Consider:
Is there a step you’ve been hesitant to take? This week, ask God to give you the courage to begin. It might be a small decision, a quiet prayer, or a change of direction. Write it down. Hold it before God. Then, with His help, take that first step. Start the journey—not when everything is certain, but when your heart is willing.
