Pie de la Cruz – no, not an exotic dessert – the Foot of the Cross.
In this case, I am thinking about the Cruz de Ferro which is a point along the Camino de Santiago. For many pilgrims, this is an important point along the Way. For some pilgrims, it is even the most important point. You see there is a tradition – a ritual even – of carrying a stone to the Cruz de Ferro and leaving it there.
The stone represents something you wish to lay at the Pie de la Cruz – the Foot of the Cross. A burden, something troubling you, something you want to forget, something you want to be forgiven, something that you would like taken from you by the Cross of Christ. People from all over the world carry stones to represent the burdens they feel and that they want for Jesus to take to the Cross. You walk up the pile of stones that have already been left by other pilgrims and leave the stone or stones – the burden or burdens – that you have been carrying. How many burdens get left at the Foot of the Cross? Well, look at the picture, I am standing on the pile of stones that have been carried and left by pilgrims at the Pie de la Cruz – the Foot of the Cross at Cruz de Ferro on the Camino de Santiago.
Musician Chuck Girard sings –
Lay your burden down, lay your burden down
Take your troubled soul, your tired mind
And lay your burden down
Lay your burden down, get your feet on solid ground
Take your worries to the foot of the cross, and lay your burden down
Lay your burden down, lay your burden down
Take your weary life, your heavy load, and lay your burden down
Lay your burden down, get your feet on solid ground
Take your failures to the foot of the cross, and lay your burden down
Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
What would you like to leave at the Foot of the Cross? The sight of so many stones piled high at the Pie de la Cruz – the Foot of the Cross – of the Cruz de Ferro along the pilgrimage route in Spain is amazing and moving – so many burdens left to Jesus. What is more amazing is that the massive pile of stones is but a tiny fraction of the burdens that Jesus took to the Cross that day on Calvary. Jesus invites you to lay your burdens down. There is always room at the Foot of the Cross for more.