7 Reasons Christians Travel
Pilgrimage
From the dictionary, I read that a pilgrimage is a journey undertaken for the purpose of religious devotion, or as a quest, or for the purpose of paying homage. I reject all of these. Pilgrims are those people that wear buckle shoes, funny hats, and landed at Plymouth in 1620. The Biblical meaning of the word is a journey to a place for the purpose of permanent residence. Therefore, the custom of visiting Jerusalem for the purpose of celebrating Passover is not a pilgrimage, but the exodus from Egypt by Moses would be. Semantics aside, when the purpose of our temporary visit is to pay homage or satisfy a quest, I disagree with the concept. My mantra of “just bricks” precludes me from paying homage to anything or anyone. Now let me explain why I do advocate for making pilgrimages…
Our tour of France was comprised of a mixed group of people from several different countries, and the tour was not specifically a Christian one. We had a scheduled overnight stay in Lourdes. Mary appeared to Bernadette here in 1858 and millions of people have been making “pilgrimages” to the site ever since. It seems out of place on a secular tour because for nonbelievers, there is nothing of interest here. I went through the line to walk through the grotto and touch the rock with the flow of water. As I exited the area there was a couple from the tour standing aside with an obvious stance of nonparticipation. I asked them if they were going to go through. Their answer was, “We are not Catholics, we are Christians”. At the time, I was distracted by their statement. To me it was as if they had said we’re not thumbs, we’re fingers. We are all Christians, but it does seem that most “pilgrims” are Catholic. Are non-Catholic Christians missing out on something? Or are Catholics missing the point? So, what is the point of a pilgrimage?
If the object of a “pilgrimage” is reverence, it is missing the point. If a “pilgrimage” is for remembrance, it’s hitting the point. As Jesus was growing up, his family made a journey to Jerusalem every year for the Passover festival, as it was customary to do. Passover celebrates God’s deliverance of His people out of Egypt. The Old Testament gives instructions on how the celebration is to take place, and how the lamb is to be selected, prepared and ate. Passover is one of three times each year that God commanded His people to present themselves before him. Through this gathering, His people remember when they gathered in Egypt and God working through Moses led them to the promised land. When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well in Samaria, she asked Jesus why Jews insisted that Jerusalem was the only place of worship. Jesus responded that the time is coming when it would no longer matter whether one worshipped The Father here or in Jerusalem. In His crucifixion, Jesus became the unblemished Passover lamb, and delivered us out of sin. and the time did come that we are able to worship The Father anywhere in spirit and in truth. Jesus is Truth, and Jesus is The Way. We worship The Father through Jesus. Our pilgrimage is to reside in Him permanently.
Places that are known as pilgrimage sites include viewing relics of Jesus, Mary, or saints; places where Jesus, Mary, or saints have walked or appeared; and places where certain historical events have taken place. Visitors to these places are not paying homage or giving reverence to things and locations. The object or location serves as a reminder that we are permanent residents on the path with Jesus in our exodus out of sin on our way to the promised land. A temporary visit to a “pilgrimage” site may serve as an onramp to The Way on which we want to travel.
Our tour of France was comprised of a mixed group of people from several different countries, and the tour was not specifically a Christian one. We had a scheduled overnight stay in Lourdes. Mary appeared to Bernadette here in 1858 and millions of people have been making “pilgrimages” to the site ever since. It seems out of place on a secular tour because for nonbelievers, there is nothing of interest here. I went through the line to walk through the grotto and touch the rock with the flow of water. As I exited the area there was a couple from the tour standing aside with an obvious stance of nonparticipation. I asked them if they were going to go through. Their answer was, “We are not Catholics, we are Christians”. At the time, I was distracted by their statement. To me it was as if they had said we’re not thumbs, we’re fingers. We are all Christians, but it does seem that most “pilgrims” are Catholic. Are non-Catholic Christians missing out on something? Or are Catholics missing the point? So, what is the point of a pilgrimage?
If the object of a “pilgrimage” is reverence, it is missing the point. If a “pilgrimage” is for remembrance, it’s hitting the point. As Jesus was growing up, his family made a journey to Jerusalem every year for the Passover festival, as it was customary to do. Passover celebrates God’s deliverance of His people out of Egypt. The Old Testament gives instructions on how the celebration is to take place, and how the lamb is to be selected, prepared and ate. Passover is one of three times each year that God commanded His people to present themselves before him. Through this gathering, His people remember when they gathered in Egypt and God working through Moses led them to the promised land. When Jesus was talking to the woman at the well in Samaria, she asked Jesus why Jews insisted that Jerusalem was the only place of worship. Jesus responded that the time is coming when it would no longer matter whether one worshipped The Father here or in Jerusalem. In His crucifixion, Jesus became the unblemished Passover lamb, and delivered us out of sin. and the time did come that we are able to worship The Father anywhere in spirit and in truth. Jesus is Truth, and Jesus is The Way. We worship The Father through Jesus. Our pilgrimage is to reside in Him permanently.
Places that are known as pilgrimage sites include viewing relics of Jesus, Mary, or saints; places where Jesus, Mary, or saints have walked or appeared; and places where certain historical events have taken place. Visitors to these places are not paying homage or giving reverence to things and locations. The object or location serves as a reminder that we are permanent residents on the path with Jesus in our exodus out of sin on our way to the promised land. A temporary visit to a “pilgrimage” site may serve as an onramp to The Way on which we want to travel.