Pilgrimage - a Way of Life
Sue’s Note: Today’s Listening on the Journey … post is the final one until July 3rd. Please read on for a glimpse of the reason.
As I mentioned in Monday’s post, the concluding portion of my personal Rule of Life is to live a life of pilgrimage. For me, being one who follows Christ is much more than identifying with a certain segment of the Christian faith or ideology. It is a commitment to always be traveling toward the Sacred, becoming transformed more and more along the way into the character of Jesus.
Several years ago, I heard a person say Christians who travel to Israel do not go as tourists but rather as pilgrims. Even though I didn’t know much about pilgrimage, those words resonated, and a few years later, when Ron and I went to Israel as part of a tour, I experienced their significance.
Wikipedia defines pilgrimage: … a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life.
Pilgrimage results in internal change. The journey of Christian transformation seems to be one that flows from the interior part of a person’s spirit. It impacts every part of a person’s soul, and spills over to impact those touched by her/his life. The pilgrim is curious and asks questions. He seeks knowledge not only for the right answer but for the next question. She humbly recognizes she is a finite being seeking to know more of The Infinite God.
The pilgrim understands the journey will not always be easy, but at some deep level, he understands the unexpected, inconvenience, and chaos are essential elements of spiritual formation. The pilgrim understands the critical importance of daily sacred rhythms to keep her soul grounded. Deep roots of faith developing both the material and immaterial parts of the soul are grown during pilgrimage.
According to Lacy Ellman, (https://www.asacredjourney.net) the three essential elements of a pilgrimage are:
1. A JOURNEY - One must leave what is comfortable and known in pursuit of transformation.
2. ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TRUE SELF - Listening deeply and facing obstacles of ego and temptation to discover the true self, or who I am in God’s image.
3. SACRED ENCOUNTER where the pursuit of the Divine is at the beginning, middle, and end of the journey.
I appreciate Ellman’s description of ten different types of pilgrimages: (Read more: www.asacredjourney.net /types-of-pilgrimage). They are:
1. Traditional;
2. Ancestral;
3. Sabbatical:
4. Solidarity:
5. Pilgrimage of Personal or Cultural Significance;
6. Nature;
7. Threshold;
8. Discovery;
9. Retreat;
10. Interior Pilgrimage.
Pilgrimage may mean traveling to a faraway land or it may involve an internal journey. In the autumn of 2022, I embarked on an internal pilgrimage to hone a particular character issue and spiritual discipline I recognized needed strengthening. That was a “first” for me, and I believe its benefit was significant.
In less than one month, my husband and I will be setting off for an epic adventure to Europe. Even though we expect the trip will be filled with lots of fun experiences such as
enjoying a cappuccino or gelato in Italy
visiting museums and iconic churches in Italy, Germany, and France
walking cobblestone streets in ancient European cities
all the activities tourists do.
Plus, adding a bit of romance!
On our 44th wedding anniversary,
smooching in front of the Eiffel Tower,
and strolling hand-in-hand
along the streets of Paris!
Ron and I also plan to approach this journey from a pilgrimage perspective. Of course, our journey will include lots and lots of photos, so be prepared for words about and pictures of our “pilgrimage” when we return in July!
Until then,
Arrivederci. Ci vediamo a luglio (Italy)
Auf Wiedersehen. Bis Juli (Germany)
Au revoir. Rendez-vous en juillet (France)
Good-bye and see you in July!
