Hiking on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, I enjoy the beauty of God’s creation without much disturbance. On the second day we had to climb from 490 metres (1,607 feet) altitude to 1400 metres and then down to 900 metres.

Walking uphill the steep slopes was tough but manageable. What was surprising to me was that walking downhill on the trail was much harder on the body.

It took more coordination and care where to step, keep the knees slightly bend, avoid loose rocks, keep the walking sticks at the right angle and at the same time feeling the weight of body and backpack even more.

Suddenly the things we have become heavy, and at the hostels one finds boxes with clothes and other things that pilgrims left behind to lower their weight. You might have heard people say: less is more.

On a two-week hike this is true, too. Already at the pilgrim office in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the volunteer who helped us weigh our backpacks, they were with water between 14.5kg (32lb) and 10kg told us his was about 5kg. After four days we understand why.

Less is more.

The Bible is not against property or even about profit or getting rich. In the Parable of the Entrusted Talents (Matthew 25: 14-30), a master entrusts his servants some money. At his return two of them doubled the amount while one had hidden the money in the ground.

His master reproved him for being lazy while praising those who had gained more for him. God increased Abraham’s cattle and household when he trusted God’s promise and Solomon received treasure beyond measure though he only had asked for wisdom.

Jesus said, we should not hang our hearts on worldly treasures, they are means, not ends. Nobody lives longer by having much.

In the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21), Jesus illustrates the foolishness of spending one's life accumulating wealth and earthly comforts while neglecting one’s spiritual relationship with God.

Just when the rich farmer thought he had enough to live an easy life, he died and lost with his life all that he had worked for.

We will not take our possessions or our decrees or other achievement with us when we die, but only our character.

It reminds me of a book by Erich Fromm, To Have or to Be. In it, Fromm says we often talk and think in terms of having. We have a degree, have a wife, have children. By thinking in these terms we become obsessed with getting more and more.

On the other hand talking and thinking in terms of being: I am a teacher, I am a mother, I am a spouse … can help concentrating on our true essence.

Fromm even sees a thread to humanity because of the having mode (centred on possessions, power, greed and social alienation). Conversely the being mode (focused on love, sharing, and proactive engagement with the world) is offering the only path to genuine fulfilment.

What is it that gives us our identity? Do we define us by what we own and accumulate, or by who we are?

Again, there is nothing wrong with earning a living.

Especially in an expensive place like Bermuda, it can be wise to have a little bit on the side. At the same time it can be freeing to unload, to declutter and to share.

It can be freeing to choose regular working hours over a promotion that might give more income but requires more time and headaches.

Few people complain on their death bed: “I wish I had spent more time in the office.”

I am grateful to have two weeks with my adult children on the Camino to share and care, to walk and talk, and to be.

It is an opportunity to be together again, to find myself and at the same time to find God.

• Karsten Decker was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Bermuda from 2010 to 2017, and after returning from Germany is now the temporary pulpit supply at Centenary United Methodist Church in Smith’s