Pilgrimage

Over the Christmas break I read several books. One was called "The Ramsay Scallop". It was about two people in medeival England who are sent to Spain on a pilgrimage. The book is peppered with people that they meet and the things they learn while heading to Spain, which was quite a trek in those days. It made me think about pilgrimage.

Psa 84:5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you (God), who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage historically has been a trip undertaken to gain some sort of blessing at the end of the journey. I realize that this is slightly skewed in many ways but at the same time as some truth in it. Sadly, this idea of pilgrimage has been eliminated from the modern Christian vocabulary. I noticed that the KJV often uses 'pilgrim' in verses the NIV translates as 'alien'.

To me, this idea of pilgrimage is still a valid one and one that needs desperately to be reclaimed. This reclamation also needs to include the idea that pilgrimage is to a place as in the Middle Ages. Well, not to an earthly, temporal place. I find it interesting that the Bible often refers to this life as our pilgrimage or our journey. To reclaim the original idea, I feel we Christians need to see that we are on a journey to our home. Our lives are this journey back home. We are pilgrims traveling through this world. Pilgrims are not people who accumulate material possessions nor are they ever fooled into thinking that the land they travel through is their home.

However, this day in age, most Christians have become settlers in a land they were only meant to pass through. They set up shop and establish themselves. Then there are looks of shock upon our face when the world proves to be fickle and fleeting. When the chaos comes again we are just as shocked as anyone. If only we had kept moving and kept our faith in what is eternal rather than misaligning it with what is temporary.

A question that has run through my head multiple times this week is this: Should we be foregoing certain things so that others may benefit? If all we have is this world, then the answer is take all you can. If we look the coming of a heavenly city and a Saviour, then we can forgo many of the things of this life, looking forward to the eternal and complete fulfillment of our longings.

Pilgrims in the Middle Ages often forsook certain luxuries. Perhaps we too should consider this again. Is it right to have 30 pairs of shoes when some go barefoot? I read recently that hunger could be stamped out in Africa if we just spent all the money on food that is currently spent on cigarettes. Pilgrims understand and make these types of decisions on purpose. Settlers try to build a surplus because they don't know what the morrow brings.

We were not made for this place and when we try to stay here we only show our satisfaction with lesser things. Let us press on to the high calling of God in Jesus Christ--and our heavenly reward.

Dilemmas

Most New Years come with a sense of turning over a new leaf. We make resolutions that we think will make us better people. There is often a sense of anticipation at what lingers on the horizon of the coming year. Most years, this is the feeling that I have. Not this year.

Since coming back to the USA from Malaysia in September 2007, I thought that I would go back once I had attained a teacher's certification. I thoroughly enjoyed working in a middle school last year I am looking forward with great anticipation to the next 14 weeks as I student teach. Through it all, the question that keeps echoing is, "What next?"

I have loads of ideas. Teach for America is a program that places teachers in innercity schools in places like New Orleans, Houston, Washington D.C. and New York City. I am applying to that program. I have great friends in Bellingham, WA and could try for a job there. Recently I was in Pensacola, FL and that is a possibility.

However, day after day, I can't shake the feeling that I want to go back overseas again. There were tons of struggles living in Malaysia but it was worth it. So much so that I still call Malaysia home, after all, I lived there for 5 years and have been back in the USA for 15 months.

I also miss scuba diving. The only other time I have had this same feeling was when I broke up with my girlfriend in my first year of university. Something is missing that I love and I want it back. I was reading today an article about Layang-Layang, one of a few places in Malaysia I have yet to dive (also Pulau Tioman and Aur, and Labuan) and seeing scalloped hammerheads and manta rays makes me want to get on a plane NOW.

Living overseas is definitely not for everyone. It exposes your every weakness, from interpersonal to food quirks, the gamut but I miss it. I miss living in a place that people saved for a year to spend two weeks in and I lived there every single day. I did quiet times on the beach five minutes from my home. Everyday was an adventure. I don't hate living in the states but I certainly am rarely surprised by what happens in an average day.

So here I am faced with a few dilemmas. Do I stay in the USA and get a job that pays well and builds a retirement pension? This will also cement my status as a teacher and lead to better jobs. Or do I go overseas? If so, where? Brunei? Malaysia? or maybe Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? It's on the Red Sea, some of the best diving in the world. Korea pays well and I think Air Asia is starting a cheap flight from there to KL. I'll be praying and applying for the next few months. We will see what happens in this new year of 2009. One thing for sure, one year from now and my situation will be vastly different.

Happy and blessed new year.