A community in formation

For most of the last few weeks, about 400 Km, I have been walking with 3 great young people from France and Germany. We met in a hostel and after an evening of chatting the next morning they invited me to walk with them. From time to time one or more of us will take an alternative route but we have evolved a practice of always staying in the municipal hostel so it is easy to find each other again.
What is more important is that, at any one moment there is likely to be between 2 and 8 other folks walking with us. Some sprint ahead, some slow down so they are only with us for a day or two.
More poignantly, someone will develop an injury and have to go home as happened twice this past week. More happily today, someone who had taken time to heal caught up to us to great rejoicing.
One of the great cultural aspects of the Camino is this inclusive community ethic. I have heard some very fine folks opine that walking the Way by oneself is the authentic way. It is certainly an authentic way. But when I see how much I am learning from my companions (and I hope vice versa); when I remember the infrastructure at Le Puy for gathering medieval pilgrims into groups for safety; and when I think back to Canterbury Tales, I am convinced that the community element of the Camino is an authentic part of the experience.