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Pilgrimage is a time honored religious acitivity.
--At Passover you say goodbye to those gathered around the table by saying, "Next year in Jerusalem" (a pilgrimage for most).
--We all have seen pictures of those on Hajj--the pilgrimage to Mecca that is a requirement of Muslims once in their lives.
--Christians have made pilgrimages to sacred places over the centuries--the holy land in particular. Great works of literature have been set on a pilgrimage--Chaucer's "Cantebury Tales" and Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress" just to name two.
I have to admit that I never really thought about the wise ones’ journey as a pilgrimage, as is suggested in this year's Seasons of the Spirit. And that got me to thinking:
What is a pilgrimage anyway?
Who takes them?
What do you do?
Why should we care?
I came across this definition from Macrina Wiederkehr's book, "Behold your Life."
"A pilgrimage is a ritual journey with a hallowed purpose. Every step along the way has meaning. The pilgrim knows that life giving challenges will emerge. A pilgrimage is not a vacation; it is a transformational journey during which signifiant change takes place. New insights are given. Deeper understanding is attained. New and old places in the heart are visited. Blessings are received and healing takes place. On return from the pilgrimage, life is seen with different eyes. Nothing will ever be quite the same again. (p. 11)
(illuminatedjourneys.com)
With this definition in mind, I can see how the wise ones' journey could be viewed as a pilgrimage. What I was struck by as I did a little bit of research/thinking about this sermon, was how many people still go on pilgrimages.
And for some, (like Macrina Wiederkehr) it is seen as a necessary component of living--even if the pilgrimage is just around your house! I think that is a little extreme, but I find it interesting that we all make New Year's resolutions this time of year (an activity based on how the Romans and Greeks worshipped their gods), and yet most of us don't think about planning a pilgrimage.
So with the story of the Wise Ones in mind, let's learn a few things about pilgrimage.
1)The intention of a pilgrimage is spiritual--it has something to do with God and our relationship to God. The Wise Ones saw that star in the East, a portent of God doing great things and they wanted to be there for God’s new day dawning. That doesn’t mean they understood what the birth of the Messiah might mean. In some ways, the Wise Ones ask us to be open to where we might find God, and what God might ask us to do!
2) We need to listen for God's message, whether it be by starlight, or in a dream! I think we often get confused about how God speaks to us. We think we must hear a voice, speaking plainly to us. But the Wise Ones followed a star without knowing where it was leading them. They took heed when in a dream they had a hunch not to go back to Herod. Maybe we need to be more aware of how God might be sending us signals.
3) Pilgrimage is best done with others--even if you don't know them very well at the beginning. We know precious little about the Ones who made their way to Bethlehem bearing gifts. Of course, all kinds of traditions have sprung up in the vacuum of real facts. We say, three because there were three gifts. We often picture them as coming from various parts of the world (“and one of them is black!”—from Amahl), thinking that the light to the Gentiles would be recognized around the globe.
If it is the case that they weren’t from the same place, how did they meet up? Did they communicate beforehand? Did they meet on the road? Did they become friends? I think the message from the Wise Ones is that pilgrimage is more than just reaching your goal—it is about the community that sets out and arrives together.
4) Once you attain your goal, you circle back home. I was fascinated that those who provide pilgrimage journeys, those who talk about pilgrimage, think there should be rituals, and prayers when you start out (of course!), and during (that makes sense!), but also as you come home (that made me think). So often we set a goal, we push toward it, we attain it, (YEAH!), and then we move onto the next thing. The Wise Ones, and those who go on pilgrimage, know that you circle back home, and take time to reflect on all that has happened, and what it means for your life before you go charging into the next adventure.
The more I thought about these lessons and the idea of pilgrimage, the more I have come to believe that yes, we should all make plans to go on a pilgrimage, of some sort, this year. It might even be better for us than those resolutions that fall by the wayside 92% of the time (so they say).
And since this is January, and we all are gearing up for our Annual Meeting at the end of the month, I invite us to think about that time together as a coming home from pilgrimage. Let’s look at what we have done in 2015, let’s take a moment to give thanks for the blessings, take stock of the challenges, and listen for God’s message to us as we continue on our pilgrimage of following the star, of bringing our gifts, of worshiping the Christ, and of always coming home.
John Pritchard, Bishop of Oxford offers this prayer for pilgrims. May we hear it as our prayer as well.
"Pilgrim God, You are our origin and our destination. Travel with us, we pray, in every pilgrimage of faith, and every journey of the heart. Give us the courage to set off, the nourishment we need to travel well, and the welcome we long for at our journey's end. So may we grow in grace and love of you and in service of others, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen." (oxford.anglican.org)
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