Lessons for election season from the Camino de Santiago

The last few months in our electoral politics have been chaotic. Between the attempts to assassinate former President Donald Trump, President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the new Democratic candidate, and the energy of the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, it is clear that we are living in a time of great societal shifts.

Across our faith traditions, we have many names for such times of great opportunity. Among Christians, we often call them “Kairos” moments.

Kairos can show up in myriad ways, and we see it throughout history, like when the Holy Spirit on Pentecost inspired the spreading of the good news of Jesus in countless languages.

Sometimes, a Kairos moment appears all at once; at other times, it is a journey building toward a significant moment. But all Kairos moments give us a glimpse of the divine. They invite us to change our behavior.

They ask, “How do we use this appointed time to further the liberation, love, and justice God asks of us?”

This past summer, I spent 10 days walking 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route through Spain, France and Portugal established in the Middle Ages.

The route includes multiple roads starting from different locations and terminating at the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

For 1,000 years, pilgrims have walked these roads seeking healing, miracles, forgiveness or enlightenment. My journey also taught me unexpected lessons about how to lead while holding the past, present and future in mind.