First, a
little background on pilgrimage. Pilgrimage
is one of the most ancient practices of humankind. It is associated with a great variety of
religions and spiritual traditions.
While it can be traced back many centuries to the cultures of Babylonia,
Egypt, Greece, and Rome, the pilgrim instinct itself lies deep within the human
heart. The earliest pilgrimage, recorded
4,000 years ago, is Genesis 12 when God tells Abraham to leave his country to a
new land. It is no surprise then that
the three great monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, have
historically discovered meaning in pilgrimage.
The Jewish people make pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the holy city. The Muslims, who list pilgrimage as one of
the five pillars of faith, travel to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Also, the Hindu religion uplifts the
importance of pilgrimage to seven holy rivers, such as the Ganges River in
India. Buddhists undertake pilgrimages
to the four holy places associated with Buddha in Nepal.
Christianity has a long history
with pilgrimage. As mentioned, the first
pilgrim ever recorded was in Genesis 12.
The first Christian pilgrims arrived at Jesus’ birth site, Bethlehem. These magi traveled great distances, no doubt
in great danger, to lay their gifts at Jesus’ feet and worship him. It wasn’t until Constantine came to power in
the 300s that the idea of pilgrimage was established among Jesus’
followers. Now that Christianity had
become an acceptable religion under Constantine, his mother Helena traveled to
the Holy Land to look for Jesus’ birth place.
When she found it (and we don’t know what kind of “proof” she had) she
had a church built on top of it, the Church of the Nativity. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was also
built on the site of Jesus’ tomb. Since
then, Christians have been making pilgrimages back to Jerusalem to see the holy
sites associated with Jesus’ life and death and resurrection. After the destruction of Jerusalem when
travel became much harder and more dangerous, Rome became a popular pilgrimage
destination. With the deaths of Peter
and Paul in that area along with the central power of the church, it quickly
rose to the second most popular site. In
the ninth century, the Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain came into
existence and rose to its height in the middle ages. Because of some abuses and the idea of
“earning” forgiveness, the Reformers railed against the idea of pilgrimage
which then lost its popularity and has only just begun to see an increase in
the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Why did people go on
pilgrimage? Many were forced to by the
justice system, especially in the Middle Ages.
It was their punishment to make a pilgrimage and come back with proof
that it had been completed. Others did
it as a form of penance, to make up for their sins to God and ask
forgiveness. Still others as a form of
love and devotion toward God. In the
early years, to go on pilgrimage meant that one might not return. They created wills and “set their things in
order” before they left. But why do
people go on pilgrimage now? Here are
some quotes that might give us an idea.
“The object of pilgrimage is not rest and recreation–to get away from it
all. To set out on a pilgrimage is to
throw down a challenge to everyday life.”
(Phil Cousineau in The Art of Pilgrimage) “Pilgrimage-a transformative journey to a
sacred center.” (Phil Cousineau) A Buddhist monk explained, “The point of the
pilgrimage is to improve yourself by enduring and overcoming difficulties.” Theologian Richard Neibuhr said, “Pilgrims
are person in motion–passing through territories not their own–seeking
something we might call completion.”
Nowadays, pilgrimage is a way of
reflection, meditation, discernment, and listening to
God. It is a unique challenge to body,
mind, and soul that can be found nowhere else in the spiritual life. Pilgrimage is a journey of the soul, into the
depths of one’s being and God’s heart. Pilgrimage has a great history with so many
religions. Perhaps the Protestant
Churches can also claim this rich tradition and incorporate this powerful
spiritual practice as a way of growing in the Christian faith. Join me on pilgrimage to Israel and let us grow in our faith together.
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