(my pilgrimage buddy)
I’ve had this fantasy of being a pilgrim – I have my backpack loaded with all the necessary items for the trip, shoes appropriate for the trek, and a mission that takes me from point A to point B.
During this pilgrimage I see myself alone walking for miles connecting to myself, to other pilgrims, to the environment, and the transcendent.
And yet, I have never done a traditional religious pilgrimage – to follow along the paths of those who have walked before me.
Yet there is this pull to pilgrimage.
When I was in Jerusalem a number of years ago, I was able to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is here that thousands of pilgrims over the years have traveled to visit the death and burial site of Jesus.
I personally didn’t connect to the church; in fact I felt out of place and overwhelmed. What did strike me though were all the crosses that were carved into the wooden door frames as well as chiseled into the stones. Thousands upon thousands of crosses marking their arrival – people who traveled to the Holy City with purpose and left their signature as a reminder of what they accomplished because it mattered.
As I walked through this historical sight, I ran my hand over hundreds of crosses and was moved as I imagined what it cost them to make their way from point A to point B and then back again.
The ingredients for pilgrimage require three steps:
Setting a purpose
Paying attention to nature through our five senses
Returning with a new perspective
I sit here reflecting on my own ritual of pilgrimage – one I never realized I was doing and yet it organically flowed out of me.
For more than 15 years I have walked the same path along the Fraser River almost every day. I have seen the seasons change and the rise and fall of this tidal river. I have collected stones and placed them on the barrier where I turn around and head home. I have walked hundreds of kilometers. This path knows me and I know it.
This daily pilgrimage has helped me connect to myself, others, nature and the transcendent. This path has been my place of safety where I have stomped out my anger, cried floods of tears, laughed at my dog trying to carry a stick too big for his mouth, processed feelings and thoughts, met new people who’ve become my friends, and felt the unconditional love of a presence bigger than myself.
I didn’t realize that many years ago I began living out my fantasy. This pilgrimage came from an inner knowing and wisdom that knew I needed this to heal, grow, and learn.
Pilgrimage is accessible to everyone. All it takes is some creativity, purpose, your senses, and being open to a new experience.
Take care as you set out on your own pilgrimage and may you connect to all that is around you – including yourself.
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