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November 2024

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:40-45: Jesus’ Compassion in Action, Healing the Untouchable

A deeper dive into Mark 1:40-45 and we can explore more nuanced theological, cultural, and linguistic insights from a range of commentaries.  

Mark 1:40-45 – Key Points 

This passage reveals several profound layers: 

  • Compassion: Jesus’ compassion was not just a feeling but an action—He touched the untouchable. 
  • Intentionality: By using intimate touch, Jesus challenged societal norms and redefined purity. 
  • Tension between Mission and Fame: Jesus sought to control the spread of His fame to avoid being misunderstood merely as a miracle worker. 
  • Spiritual Restoration: The language of cleansing emphasizes that Jesus’ miracles are not just about physical health but also about restoring individuals to community and God. 

Several key insights emerge from biblical and secular commentaries: 

  1. The Leper’s Approach and Jesus’ Compassion: The leper’s request, “If you will, you can make me clean,” reflects both humility and faith. Leprosy in ancient contexts symbolized social exclusion and ritual impurity, not just physical illness. Jesus’ willingness to heal the man highlights his authority and compassion, breaking cultural taboos by touching the leper, which symbolically transmits purity instead of impurity. This reversal demonstrates how Jesus redefines holiness through restoration rather than separation from the unclean. 
  1. The Language of Cleansing and Healing: The use of the Greek word katharizó (to cleanse) underscores that the focus is not merely on physical healing but also ritual and social restoration. The cleansing carries spiritual significance, making the man eligible to rejoin religious and communal life, which was essential in a society governed by purity laws (SermonWriter; HTS Teologiese Studies). 
  1. Jesus’ Strong Emotions: The Greek verbs embrimaomai (stern warning) and exballō (cast out) convey forceful, even angry emotions. These words may reflect Jesus’ frustration, possibly at the risk of becoming known only as a miracle worker or at the potential misunderstanding of his role. 

This passage is rich with themes of faith, restoration, humility, and divine power. It challenges both ancient and modern readers to rethink ideas about holiness, social boundaries.  

Mark 1:40-45 – Deep Insights 

A deeper dive into Mark 1:40-45 and we can explore more nuanced theological, cultural, and linguistic insights from a range of commentaries. 

  1. Cultural Context of Leprosy and Jesus’ Radical Action
  • Leprosy as Isolation: In 1st-century Jewish society, leprosy was not only a physical disease but also carried heavy social and religious stigma. The afflicted were isolated from society and banned from worship (See Leviticus 13:45-46). Thus, the healing goes beyond physical restoration—it reinstates the leper into both social and religious life. 
  • Jesus’ Touch: The act of touching a leper is revolutionary. In the Jewish tradition, touching a leper would render someone unclean (See Numbers 5:2-3). Yet Jesus’ touch reverses the expected outcome—his holiness purifies the leper instead of contamination spreading to Jesus. This anticipates the New Covenant, where boundaries between clean and unclean are dismantled (See Mark 7:18-23). 
  1. Theological Implications of the Imperative “Be Clean”
  • Divine Authority: The Greek command katharisthēti (be cleansed) is given with divine authority. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus’ words often have immediate effect (e.g., calming the storm in Mark 4:39). The instant healing highlights Jesus’ power not just to heal, but to cleanse—a word associated with both physical cure and restoration of spiritual purity. 
  1. The Messianic Secret and Jesus’ Emotional Response
  • The Messianic Secret: Many expected the Messiah to be a political liberator, but Jesus’ focus was on a spiritual kingdom. By instructing the man to go to the priest, Jesus ensures the healing will be verified according to Mosaic law and the man would be permitted to rejoin society. 
  • Jesus’ Emotion (Indignation or Compassion?): There is textual variation in verse 41. Some manuscripts suggest Jesus felt indignation (orgizomai), while others say compassion (splanchnizomai). If indignation is the correct reading, it may reflect frustration—either at the destructive effects of illness or at the intrusion of disease into God’s creation. If compassion is the correct reading, it emphasizes Jesus’ profound empathy and willingness to engage personally with human suffering. Jesus was deeply moved. The meaning is probably both. 
  1. Jesus’ Stern Warning:
  • The Use of “Sternly Warned” (ἐμβριμάομαι): The same verb is used elsewhere when Jesus confronts evil (e.g., Mark 14:5), which suggests that the healing is part of his broader battle against the forces of sin and chaos. Jesus wants to control the narrative. However, we see clearly that people do not always do what Jesus wants them to do. Free will demonstrated. 
  1. Theological Symbolism of Healing in Mark’s Gospel
  • Healing as a Sign of the Kingdom: In Mark, miracles are not simply acts of compassion—they are signs that the kingdom of God has drawn near. The cleansing of the leper reflects God’s inbreaking reign, where exclusion is overturned, and those deemed “unclean” are welcomed back into community and relationship with God.   
  1. Practical Lessons for Today
  • Challenging Social Boundaries: Just as Jesus touched the leper, believers today are called to engage with marginalized and excluded groups, demonstrating compassion that breaks societal boundaries. 
  • Faith in Divine Will: The leper’s words, “If you are willing, you can make me clean,” reflect a model of faith that acknowledges both God’s power and sovereignty. This challenges believers to trust God’s will, even when healing or restoration may not come as expected. 

Mark 1:40-45 Jesus’ actions model divine compassion and challenge societal norms, while the complex emotions and commands in the narrative underscore the tension between human expectation and divine purpose. This passage encourages both personal faith and compassionate engagement with the world. 

Mark 1:40-45 – Jesus and the Wow Factor 

In this brief encounter between Jesus and the leper, we witness not just a miraculous healing, but the radical redefinition of holiness itself?  

In ancient times, to touch a leper was to guarantee impurity. Holiness was thought to mean separation—from sin, from impurity, from anything ‘unclean.’ But Jesus flips this idea on its head: when he touches the leper, his purity overwhelms the uncleanness.  

Instead of being contaminated, Jesus transfers healing and restoration. For the first time, we see holiness not as distance from the broken, but as a force that engages and restores the outcast. Jesus may have been angry when healing the man, not at him, but at the disease itself, as if confronting an enemy! This is not just a miracle—this is a battle against everything that contaminates creation 

Jesus sent the man to the priests—back to the very system that would have kept him excluded. To show that the restoration was now complete: this man should be fully welcomed back, body and soul.  

The man’s disobedience in spreading the news actually pushes Jesus further into isolation. By restoring someone’s life, Jesus exchanges places with the outcast! He willingly takes on the consequences of the healing—trading his freedom to give another person theirs. 

Jesus was not just a miracle worker; he was someone who challenged societal norms, redefined holiness, and embraced the cost of restoration.  

Mark 1:40-45 – My Take 

Jesus was deeply disturbed, perhaps even angry (I think based on the stern warning that followed that this is the better translation) when he saw what sin had done to the man. Jesus made everything perfect. Sin defiled his creation. 

We generally think that if we tough something dirty, we become dirty, too. Jesus flips this idea. He’s very un-business as usual. Jesus touches the man and does NOT himself become dirty. Rather he cleans up the man! When Jesus, who is God, became a man and decided to live among us, he did not become dirty like us. Rather by his presence we can become holy.  How cool is that! 

Jesus not only cleaned up the man, he had him present himself to the very people who made him an outcast resulting in him being reintegrated into his previous life. Jesus ‘fixed’ the man in all accounts. Those who sent the man away had to fix themselves.  

The most shocking thing to me was the end result that Jesus swapped places with the man. The man was forced to live in the outskirts, the lonely places while Jesus was free to come and go as he pleased. After Jesus healed the man, the man became free and Jesus ended up on the outside. 

That Jesus would swap places with such a man as this is mind boggling to me. But, that’s what Jesus did. 

Make me like Jesus! 

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark, News

From Pilgrimage to Publication: One Man’s Journey Beyond the VF

3+ Months Later:
It’s been way more difficult to re-assimilate myself back to life at more than 3 mph than I had imagined it would be.

Life on the VF was drudgery at best, boring at worst. But, still I enjoyed it and all I gained from it. I was looking back thru some pix I took, specifically the day I finished. Having kids and that sort of thing aside, the day I finished the VF was a top 3 event in my life.

Since being back, despite the many things I have going on: finishing a book and getting it published, finishing a second book and having it published by the end of this month, finishing the first draft on a 3rd book, preaching weekly, doing a deep dive study into the Gospel of Mark <= really interesting!

, and, and … all that seems more mundane than the daily walks of 20-25 miles, just getting from here to there, then doing it again. Who knew?

I still walk. I did 30 miles in one day the other day, just because.

I’ve eaten too much and probably have put on 15-20 lbs (25?) since my last day on the VF. I feel the heaviness in my body and my spirit. I am kind of flailing to be honest, and I don’t know the answer yet.

I’m not inclined to get back out and walk across … anywhere for that matter.

But this thing I know. I am not nearly as happy now as I was just walking, and walking, and having a look, and walking, and wondering where I would sleep or what I would eat, and walking, and knowing, that things would be okay IF I just kept walking.

I know things will be okay now, too … but I am not having as much fun.
I don’t know why.

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark, News

Lessons from Shawshank Redemption: A Journey from Tranquility to Chaos

Everyone’s got themselves in a hurry.
In the movie “Shawshank Redemption”, at age 73 and after 50 years in prison Brooks is let out on parole in 1955.

He writes a letter to his friends still kin prison and tells them, “Everyone’s got themselves in a hurry.”

Used to the slow pace of prison life, Brooks could not adjust to a faster pace outside the prison walls.

See the movie if you haven’t to learn what happened.

For the past 2 months I got used to a 3 mph pace. I only had to be where I wanted to be and when I wanted to be there. And the way was never crowded.
This morning I had to be at the train station by a designated time.

Once in the train I had to climb over people’s stuff, ask a 9-yo to please move so I could have the seat next to him, (his grandmother finally explained to him to stand up and let me in), check and recheck times and places for transferring to/from my destinations, all the while listening to multiple conversations as the train eventually hit 50 mph. It was more exhausting than walking 20 miles!

My ending will not be the same as Brook’s. I do realize, however, that everyone has gotten themselves into a hurry.

It’s not realistic, nor do I want to live at 3 mph. But, I can say that it sure was fun while it lasted.

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark

Leprosy in the Bible: Ritual Impurity and Social Stigma

Deep Dive Into Leprosy 

λεπρὸς (lepros) – “leper” 

The Greek word λεπρὸς (lepros) is used to describe the man who approaches Jesus. While traditionally translated as “leper,” this term was used for various skin diseases in ancient times, not just what we now know as leprosy. This broader understanding of the term highlights the social and religious implications of skin conditions in that culture, as they often led to isolation and stigma. 

In biblical and ancient contexts, what was called “leprosy” covered a variety of skin conditions—not just Hansen’s disease, which we know today as true leprosy. Biblical leprosy, referred to as ṣāra‘at in Hebrew and translated as lepra in Greek, could include diseases like psoriasis, vitiligo, or fungal infections. These conditions were considered not just medical issues but also spiritual or ritual impurities, rendering the afflicted “unclean” and socially ostracized. 

Physically, advanced leprosy, including Hansen’s disease, causes skin lesions, loss of sensation, and disfigurement, such as the gradual wasting of limbs or facial deformities due to nerve damage. The body’s inability to heal injuries because of sensory loss led to grotesque mutilations that could make the person appear as though their body was decaying or rotting. Lepers might develop sunken noses, clawed hands, and severe foot ulcers—giving them an eerie and terrifying appearance to those who saw them. 

Socially, lepers were forced to live outside the community in colonies or isolated spaces to avoid spreading their condition and were required to announce their presence by shouting “unclean!” when near others. This practice reinforced their stigma, as they were often seen as cursed or judged by God. Ancient writings, including those found in the Bible, suggest that the afflicted were not only physically distanced but emotionally and spiritually cut off from society. Levitical laws mandated strict separation to prevent contamination, though these regulations seem to have been more about ritual purity than infectious disease control. 

In addition to the social exclusion, leprosy was often viewed as a divine punishment, adding a spiritual dimension to the suffering of the afflicted. This belief was widespread in cultures across the ancient world. Even when cures or healings occurred, such as those performed by Jesus (Mark 1:40-45), they were described as acts of “cleansing” rather than just medical restoration, symbolizing the restoration of both physical health and community acceptance. 

In a modern context, these ancient fears of contamination and divine punishment parallel the stigma attached to other diseases throughout history. The healing of the leper in Mark 1 becomes especially profound when Jesus not only heals the man but touches him, defying both religious law and social taboo. When Jesus touched the man, Jesus did NOT become impure. Rather, he cleaned up the man! This action not only restores the leper’s body but also reclaims his humanity—sending a powerful message about compassion, acceptance, and the breaking of barriers between the “clean” and “unclean.”

The Leper of Carcassonne 

In 13th-century southern France, in the fortified city of Carcassonne, lived a man named Jacques. Once a skilled craftsman, Jacques began noticing strange discolorations on his hands—patches that felt numb to the touch. At first, he tried to hide them, hoping they would fade, but as the spots spread and his fingers lost sensation, people began to notice. Some whispered that he was cursed. Others said God was punishing him. Soon after, a priest confirmed his worst fear—he had lepra, leprosy. 

The sentence was swift: Jacques was declared “dead” to the community. The law required that lepers leave the city walls immediately to prevent contamination. He was brought before the church in a grim ceremony called the “mass of the dead,” where the priest read his funeral rites, as if he had already passed away. Stripped of his rights, possessions, and identity, Jacques was given a bell to warn others of his approach and escorted beyond the gates of Carcassonne to a leper colony in the forest, where other afflicted people lived in exile. 

Life in the Leper Colony 

In the colony, conditions were harsh. Food was brought by city officials and left at a distance to avoid contact. The lepers relied on each other, sharing what little they had, and forming a community of outcasts. As time went on, Jacques’ disease advanced—his fingers curled, and sores covered his skin. He could no longer practice his craft, and the bell he was forced to carry became an unbearable symbol of his exclusion. Yet, despite the despair, he found unexpected companionship among others who, like him, had been abandoned by society. The colony’s priest, a former monk, provided them with what comfort he could, reminding them that in God’s eyes, they were not forgotten. 

A Glimmer of Hope 

In the 14th century, new ideas about healing spread throughout Europe, and some towns began to show compassion toward lepers, offering better care and even limited re-entry into religious services. One day, a visiting friar arrived at the colony, bringing news of a nearby bishop who advocated for the humane treatment of lepers. Inspired by the teachings of Christ, this bishop believed that healing could come not only from medicine but from kindness and reintegration. 

Jacques, now physically deteriorated but spiritually uplifted by hope, made the dangerous journey back to the city to petition the bishop. Though he was not cured, the bishop welcomed him, and for the first time in years, Jacques was allowed to attend Mass. His presence at the altar caused discomfort among some, but it also challenged their perceptions. Jacques never fully regained his health, but he spent the rest of his days not in isolation, but helping others—his resilience inspiring compassion in those who once feared him. 

This story reflects the realities many lepers faced in medieval Europe: isolation, fear, and eventual moments of kindness as attitudes toward disease began to shift. The tension between fear of contamination and the call to show compassion, as echoed in Jesus’ encounter with the leper in Mark 1, was a constant struggle across cultures and centuries. 

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:40-45: Jesus Heals Leper with Compassionate Touch

A man with leprosy scared everybody but Jesus as he approached him and fell on his knees begging, “You can make me clean if you want to.” 

Jesus became deeply stirred, reached out and touched the guy, saying, “I’m willing. Be clean!” And, he was! Just like that. Clean! 

Jesus, still angry at how sin had manifested itself in this man, strongly warned him, “Do not tell anyone what I did. Go, show yourself to the priest, make the necessary sacrifices to be reincluded into society.” 

The guy didn’t listen. Instead he blabbered on and on to anyone and everyone what Jesus had done for him. So much so, that Jesus became the one who had to live alone far outside of the town where the leper once was. Even so, the people came to him from all over the place. 

Mark 1:40-45 – Greek Word Study 

Word Studies on Key Greek Terms 

σπλαγχνισθεὶς (splanchnistheis) – “moved with compassion” (v. 41) 

  • Word: σπλάγχνα (splanchnon), meaning “inward parts” or “bowels.” In ancient thought, the bowels were seen as the seat of deep emotions like mercy or compassion. 
  • Insight: This verb suggests a gut-level emotional response, indicating Jesus was deeply stirred in His heart. This wasn’t just a rational decision to heal—it was a compassionate, visceral reaction to the man’s suffering. 
  • In verse 41, some manuscripts use ὀργισθεὶς (orgistheis), meaning “being angry” or “indignant.” This textual variation has led to debates among scholars about Jesus’ emotional response. The compassion reading may align more with Jesus’ character throughout the Gospels, while the anger reading can demonstrate that Jesus could be angry and yet not sin. The suffering caused by the disease and the social stigma attached to it would be deeply disturbing to Jesus. 

ἥψατο (hēpsato) – “touched” (v. 41) 

  • Word: ἅπτομαι (haptomai), meaning “to touch, take hold of.” 
  • Insight: Touching a leper was both socially and ceremonially taboo, yet Jesus intentionally touched him. This word conveys a deliberate and intimate connection, emphasizing the personal care Jesus offered, regardless of societal expectations. 

ἐμβριμησάμενος (embrimēsamenos) – “sternly charged” (v. 43) 

  • Word: ἐμβριμάομαι (embrimaomai), meaning “to groan, snort with anger, sternly warn.” 
  • Insight: This term suggests that Jesus gave a forceful warning, possibly expressing frustration or urgency and giving credence to the angry alternative. His stern instruction to the healed man to remain silent hints at the tension between Jesus’ mission and the public’s misunderstanding of His role. 
  • In verse 43, Jesus sends the man away with ἐμβριμησάμενος (embrimēsamenos). This strong language emphasizes the importance Jesus placed on reintegrating the man into society by following the proper procedures for declaring the man clean according to Mosaic law. 

καθαρίσθητι (katharisthēti) – “be cleansed” (v. 41) 

  • Word: καθαρίζω (katharizō), meaning “to cleanse or purify.” 
  • Insight: This verb indicates more than physical healing; it also carries a spiritual connotation, suggesting restoration to community life and religious purity. 

κήρύσσειν (kēryssein) – “to proclaim” (v. 45) 

  • Word: κηρύσσω (kēryssō), meaning “to announce or proclaim.” 
  • Insight: After being healed, the leper disobeys Jesus’ command to stay silent and instead becomes a public herald. This word carries the sense of official announcement, as if the man cannot contain his joy over his restored state. 
Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark, News

Against All Odds: Jake Conquers 27km Trek in Record Tim

Jake was absolutely remarkable yesterday.
Story time.
I walked the 17+ miles from San Quirico to Radicofani in abt 6.5 hrs. I am not fast. But neither am I slow.

Jake could not leave San Q till 630 pm, because he stayed behind for biz reasons.
I asked the hostel in Radicofani to allow me to let him in at 11 or so.

The hostel in Radicofani adamantly refused to accept new guests after 7:30.
I pleaded with them to let Jake in later.

They finally agreed on 9:45 at the absolute latest. I relayed the time to Jake.
Jake said matter of factly, “I’ll make it.”

He needed to carry his back pack, spingen, et al, abt 15lb total and make the 27km trip, including the brutal climb at the end in 3 hr 15 min in the dark!

There are 80+ climbs on the VF app, rated by difficulty. This section is ranked most difficult – very challenging. I walked it earlier in the day. It was in my top 3 of difficulty.
The hostel refused to believe it was possible.

The 2 Czech kids, 30 and 29, cringed at the attempt. Sneered? Laughed out loud. They had just completed it as well. Coming in after me.

Jake stuffed his speakers and everything else in his backpack and took off running. The road was barren, isolated and there was no water or food along the way.

No support. I tracked him on WhatsApp.
The turn into town was not clear, and finding our hostel was tricky, so I walked the half mile or so to meet him.

When he got close enough I began to call out his name to encourage him.
We met. Hugged briefly. I might have choked up but I’m not saying I did. I grabbed his backpack and carried it for him for the final stretch.

He pulled up to the hostel door at 9:42 pm. Just over 3 hrs of running.
Incredible stamina, imo. Jaw dropping effort in all respects. He did what no one in the know could believe was possible.

We had dinner, cold, ready for him. He gobbled it up.
For him, just another day. He didn’t ask for nor accept praise. He smiled, took a shower, and fell into a deep sleep.

Oh. He turned 51 a couple of days ago.
Jake, simply put, does not complain. He did, however, manage a whisper to me, “That bag got pretty heavy.”

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark, News

From Navy to Navigating Normal: My Journey Through Reverse Culture Shock

Reverse culture shock.
I reckoned that I would need to transition back to a ‘normal’ routine after the walk.
‘Normal’, however, is a moving target.

After spending nearly 25 years in the Navy, then Far East Asia, mostly Japan, I had to transition back to the US. The ‘issues’ that come up whe transitioning have a name. It’s called ‘reverse culture shock.’ Who knew? Right?

In no particular order I thought to share some of the shock I experience with anyone who is still here … as the shocks come to me.

I’ve begun to measure distances in how long it will take me to walk them. I am staying at a BnB far up a hill. The owner has graciously offered to drive me to town and bring me back whenever I like. He’s a full-time soccer coach in his other life. However, when I look at the map I see it’s only abt 3.5 miles to town. “I can walk that.” is the first thing that comes to mine.

I couldn’t find the bus stop to get me near his place when I arrived in town a couple of days ago. So, I walked up the hill to his place. He was completely taken aback, as was the woman who sold me a Powerade near the top. “You did what?! You walked here?!”

I think what I might be trying to say here is that I’ve fallen into a pit that lies within. It’s hard for me to ask for help, even it makes sense that I do. If I can do it myself, why shouldn’t I?

The answer is – because it’s okay to let other people show me kindness. I like to be kind to others. “Let them be kiind to me, too!” I tell myself. But, it’s hard. Really hard for me. Being completely honest here.

I booked a cruise! Desperate to have a place to sleep that I didn’t have to find and food prepared for me that, again, I didn’t have to find, my wife found a 7-day cruise to Greece and Turkey. Cool, eh? After I got to the port city I learned I had been booted from the ship because of a technical error and my room given to someone else! No cruise. Hello BnB. And no plans on what to do in the coming days … yet.

I think that I could probably walk to the coast and take a ferry to Greece if I wanted to. I really could.
What I may be trying to say is that when this (getting booted) kind of thing happens I become even more prone to want to be self-sufficient, to get back on the trail where I can control things … mostly. Or at least when things go wrong I blame only myself … or Jake.

On one hand, I want to experience the kindness of others, but on the other hand, I can’t depend on others.

Where’s the map?
What to do? I don’t know the answer … yet.

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark, News

From 22 Miles to 1,200: The Unyielding Spirit of a Determined Walker

Personality Flaw #2
I am often guilty of not having thought things through.
It would have made all kinds of sense for me to practice a long walk, say 100 miles, before committing myself to nearly 1,200 miles of walking. My farthest practice walk was 22 miles. I’ve done more than that multiple times on this pilgrimage.

I am absolutely sure that had I done a 100-mile practice run, er, walk, there’s no way in creation I would have committed to 1,200. No way. No how.


I am guilty of once I have started something, I will keep going till I break it (flaw #1) or finish what I started. I think that if something is worth starting, then it’s worth finishing. Of course, there are times when a project should be abandoned. It doesn’t make sense to continue. But, I am not able to determine when that is. So. I keep going.

I heard a story that had a tremendous impact on me about a missionary couple. The couple was retiring after 40 years of service. There was a large gathering of Christians taking turns sharing memories. Finally, it was the couple’s turn.

However, before they could speak, an old crooked man from the country they served made his way up front.

“Let me tell you something you don’t know,” he began. “When you came here 40 years ago, we didn’t want you to stay. The first year after you planted your crops, we poisoned them so they would fail. But, you didn’t leave.

“The following year, we decided to burn down your house. Still, you didn’t leave. The third year, you had a young child. We poisoned your child thinking that surely you would leave then. But, you didn’t. It was then we realized that there was something different about you, something special and we’d better learn what it is. And we were glad you stuck it out.” And then he sat down.

How soon people will give up. How soon people will even blame God for their own unwillingness to endure. “Surely, God doesn’t want us here, or for us to continue.” When sticking it out would have made all the difference.

If God wants you to start something, it is with certainty that God wants you to finish. So, I think.
You’d think that with less than 100 miles to go and 1,000 in the bank that I’d be more confident about finishing.

I have aches and pains and other things going on that I don’t mention. But, this I can say. I will either finish this walk or break something trying…and then finish it anyway.
Maybe I’d better rethink that last sentence.
Nah. I don’t think I will.

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark, News

A Close Call in the Tunnel: The Risks of an Unconventional Route

The Tunnel
I’ve posted about the Swim, and the Ravine. Then, there’s the Tunnel.
At some point when I was preparing for this trek I was in a popular FB group devoted to the VF. One of the often asked questions was some form of ‘How long does it take to finish the entire trek?’

I became curious. I looked in to various routes: the official, the historical, the direct.
I opted for the most direct route that also followed closely the historical route. We always stay in some location on the historical route. I think.

Consequently, we’ve opted to cut distances by swimming, or climbing down, then up.
We came to a one way tunnel for cars. The sign clearly said ‘No bicycles.’ Nothing abt pedestrians. So….

We knew cars could only go one way at a time, and there would be a lag from the time the last car went one way and the other cars started coming.

If we timed it well, and ran fast enough we’d make it. Maybe. The tunnel was only a couple of miles, give or take. And we could save some distance and time. Maybe.

We saw a truck come through pulling a boat. If we had been in the tunnel at the same time, it would have been all over except cleaning up the mess.

There were indents in the walls in the tunnel for who knows why. They were spaced every couple of hundred meters. And they were big enough to hide in and avoid being squished. If we got to them in time.

I am writing this. We made it. Duh. But, of all the short cuts we created, this one we would NOT do again. In addition to being squished, we had the real threat of someone calling the police. Ppl like to squeal on others. Who knows why?

All this corner cutting created a problem I didn’t see coming.
Not only the corner cutting, we are also going faster than I planned. We are not trying to go fast or far. It happens.

We’re going to get done earlier than planned. Much earlier. I will have 2 extra weeks to spend in Rome. What to do with this time is something I am thinking on now.
If you had 2 extra weeks in Rome, what would you do?

Bill Belew
In Gospel of Mark, News

From Dawn to Dusk: The Brutal Reality of Walking 37 Miles

In this reflective piece by Bill Belew, the author shares a candid account of his personality flaw of pushing things to their limits, often to the point of breaking.

He recounts a particularly challenging day where he experimented with an early start to beat the heat, only to continue walking through brutal conditions.

Despite the physical and mental challenges, including extreme heat, blisters, and back pain, Belew perseveres through a 60 km (37.2 miles) walk.

The day is marked by disappointment, drudgery, and the struggle to find accommodation. Yet, amidst the hardship, Belew finds a sense of resilience and determination to keep going, even as he acknowledges the need for someone to intervene before he pushes himself too far.

Personality Flaw
I have a personality flaw.

Each day I like to post pictures of pretty thises and thats. And maybe I’ll post a picture of a funny sign. I might tell a story with a happy ending. But not all days are sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows.

One personality flaw, I have many, is that I push things beyond their limits. I stretch things till they break. You know, to see what is possible. And then when it breaks, I get mad.

Today would be a day that I pushed myself till I broke.

We experimented with getting to bed early, then taking off before dawn, and getting a bunch of miles in before it gets hot. We did good. We were walking at 5am. But. When it got hot, we failed to stop. We kept going

Today was brutal. If you think I’m complaining, you can stop reading now. I’m hoping you will let me share that a lot of my time is a slog. Drudgery. Boredom. Pain. And even feeling sorry for myself a bit. No pity, please.

We really looked forward to Lucca. It was such a letdown. We saw an old medieval wall and another church that was closed. That was the highlight of our day.

We eventually walked a new best – 60 km, 37.2 miles. There was another 37, too. It was 37C. That’s 98.6 F! We were melting.

You’d think that after 900+ miles the blisters would be history. Nope! Two hot spots on my right foot shot pain up my leg every time I stepped. More than 30,000 times my right foot told me, “It hurts, doesn’t it? What did you expect you old coot?”

We walked for 12 hours. There were times I wobbled, times I folded over double because my back hurt so bad. And we still had, 4, 3, 2 hours of non-stop walking to go.

Our evening stay fell through. And then it didn’t. Then it did. While walking I was also trying also to find a place to stay.

“Think happy thoughts!” Good googie moogie. I couldn’t even think.
I was certain that today would be a day that I broke myself. But. I didn’t. I survived. I’ll try again tomorrow to walk myself into the ground…literally.

Will someone please stop me before I do?