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.