Pilgrimage is a spiritual journey with the intention of meeting God
In my twenty five years as a pilgrim I have travelled in Europe, the Holy Land and the British Isles. I have walked on my own, with my family, as part of a group and as a group leader, along centuries old routes such as those to Santiago de Compostela and brand new ones created in the Kington Benefice in 2025. Pilgrimage forms the bedrock of my spirituality; it is how I pray and how I best meet God.
My interest in this practice of spirituality was originally sparked by a combination of events. Firstly, on a practical level, I was searching for a cheap holiday which would appeal both to teenagers and babies – such is the age spread of our family. A pilgrimage is, above all, an adventure. We step out onto a path which will take us on a journey and we never really know what is going to happen. Even if the route is familiar and we have walked it many times before, the unexpected is always round the corner. Our children loved the idea of a journey with a purpose, enjoyed the self-sufficiency of carrying everything we needed on our backs, and relished the variety of hostels, campsites and refuges which form the accommodation of a long distance pilgrim.
But there is a deeper purpose to a pilgrimage – it is more than simply an enjoyable walk.
A Christian pilgrimage is a spiritual journey with the intention of meeting God. We may be encountering Him for the first time, as we move from wondering about our concept of The Other, to discovering the gospel message of profound love for every individual as expressed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We may be seeking to deepen our relationship with Him, through time spent on our own, liberated from our daily timetable and able to fall into a rhythm of prayer and reflection which matches our footsteps as we walk. We may simply be intending to spend time in creation, dwelling in the moment, savouring every aspect with all of our senses, realizing that God speaks to us not just through words but through our surroundings as well.
The gifts of pilgrimage do not stop when the walk ends. Just as the pilgrimage is a metaphor for our Christian journey through this world, so can the lessons learnt whilst on route be applied not only to our spiritual life but to our emotional and physical one as well. Wisdoms such as living lightly, sharing our burdens, being true to our path and navigating obstacles all have their parallel in our daily existence. Above all, we are encouraged to enjoy the journey, relish every moment and hold in our hearts the knowledge that we never travel alone but with Jesus Christ as our route, our companion and our journey’s end.
– ENDS –