Our Woman of the Week is...Jennifer Nahas, nominated for her long and faithful service to the Church and for her spiritual practice of pilgrimage! We caught up with her not long after she returned from a nearly 200-mile pilgrimage across England and asked her to introduce herself:
“When asked to prepare a write-up of who I am, I started by listing my professional accomplishments (co-founder of Brigham-Nahas Research Associates, head of Orthodox Christian Fellowship, and so on and on). That’s what we do in the world of work: we focus on our career accomplishments, of course! After reading my 25+ year career profile condensed into a few paragraphs, I paused: Ugh, how boring and empty; it says so little about who I really am, what drives me and what makes me happy.
“So, take 2: I am 53 years old and I was formed in a third-generation Antiochian (Lebanese) Orthodox Christian household in Brooklyn NY where walking to church meant assembling family and neighbors for a fun-filled Sunday. There was a clear and consistent community message: you are loved; you are a gift from God and your vocation is to love your neighbor without stipulation, because they, too, are a gift from God. And what better place to learn and practice the call to love your neighbor than in Brooklyn with its tapestry of diversity? I learned to look past the stereotypes all around me and extend warmth to strangers, and to stand up for what’s right and to try to make a difference.
“Making a difference doesn’t have to be heroic and grandiose; rather, by merely greeting people, making eye contact, and really seeing someone who is alone on the subway, serving at the counter or picking up the trash is the most important, daily spiritual practice I took from my upbringing. Only in retrospect, have I come to see how the combination of my church and neighborhood shaped many of my professional and personal life choices and values. Embedded in these choices was seeing Christ in everyone, and building a vocation as a servant leader, as opposed to having a career.
“Taking time to a think about who and how I’ve impacted others, rather than what I’ve accomplished is a metric somewhat antithetical to our professional selves, but now, as I move through mid-life, I see it as a more authentic and important way to be. While I am grateful to have strong analytical and management skills, I have made the jump to pursue what brings me joy, rather than accelerating my career to earn more or gather more accolades. This is why I have spent the last four years working at REI—a national outdoor retailer, where I can inspire others to awaken to a life-long love of the outdoors.
“I believe that it’s in the wild, untamed and natural places that we find not only our best selves but we can see, and hear, God. Specifically, I work with people interested in modern day pilgrimages and the benefits of long distance walking towards personal growth through mental, physical and spiritual challenges. Having walked the Camino, the 500-mile pilgrimage across Spain and Wainwright’s Coast-to-Coast trek across England, I can see why our early Christians took to the path to unburden, reflect and re-center. I am moved by the wisdom of St. Augustine, who observed, “solvitor ambulando” … it is solved by walking.”
We asked our Woman of the Week, Jennifer Nahas, more about pilgrimage as a movement practice:
"I teach classes on how to be a modern day pilgrim. We have found at REI that more and more people of all ages want to disconnect from the stresses, pressures and responsibilities of their every day life to rediscover their calling. Taking an intentional long walk offers solace silence and opportunities for reflection and to gain greater clarity "This picture was taken during a class for aspiring American pilgrims interested in walking to Santiago on one of the many Caminos that crisscross Spain. For two thousand years, ‘pilgrims’ from all over the world spend anywhere from one to seven weeks being physically, emotionally, spiritually and culturally challenged by walking the ancient path of St. James. The most popular route, the Camino France, starts in the Pyrenees and finishes at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. While wildly popular in Europe for decades, Americans are being drawn to this incredible journey. I cover three areas: - Pilgrimage: Why? What is a modern day pilgrim? How it’s different from being a walker or a hiker?
- Camino: The history and relevancy of the ancient path of St James
- How to's: Training, travel, gear and logistics
At the end of the class, we all talk what is beckoning us to embark on this journey and to set an initial intention to guide us."
One last moment with Woman of the Week Jennifer Nahas (pictured here near the end of her pilgrimage across England this August). We asked her about her morning routine:
“Every day starts with 20 minutes of journaling. Having started this 4+ years ago, it’s now an embedded ‘must do' routine. When my feet hit the floor, I greet my prayer corner icons and grab my journal which is stored by my prayer book. Then, with a cup of tea, I head to the garden (in the warm months). I find the natural world, without any technology around, soothing and inspiring. And then I just start writing, without judgment or direction, letting my mind go wherever it wants. I do not put down my pencil until I have written at least three pages. I do this to capture the creative ‘thought nuggets’ our minds work on while we are asleep and, more importantly, to discard any 'clutter thoughts' that I’ve held on to during the night. If I don’t get the clutter-thoughts out of my head, I find I circle the drain with ones that don’t serve me, but rather distract me from being my best self. Cleaning out my mind usually takes two pages. And it's the third page where the magic starts. Clear writing around where I am heading, where I can do my best work. I write down my prayers, my hopes, what I am grateful for, and where I need the Holy Spirit to guide and direct me. I set my intentions for the day, remind myself of how to be a light to others, and then I start the day.”
Thank you, Jennifer!