Have You Taken a Pilgrimage?

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.
- Psalm 84:5-7

As we lean into the Advent season, we’re going to be thinking a lot about pilgrimages. According to Wes Granberg-Michaelson, a pilgrimage is “a journey with holy purpose toward a place of spiritual significance.”

Have you ever undertaken a pilgrimage? Since we often don’t think in terms of pilgrimage you may need to reinterpret some of your journeys in order to loo at them through this lens. Perhaps you took a road trip to a family reunion or a long hike to a special location or a maybe you moved to a new city. Do you recall a special purpose? Was there meaning in the movement or just in the arrival? Did the preparation for the journey - or the memory of the things you saw - shape you in some way or another? Did you have a sense of God’s hand on you along the way or perhaps when you arrived?

Take some time to ponder these questions as you lean into this month of thinking about pilgrimage.