Isn’t it about time you took a pilgrimage? Don’t be too intimidated. It doesn’t have to be far. It could be a trip to a nearby church you’ve always wanted to visit or a pause in a park under a favorite tree or a walk discovering a neighborhood you’ve never seen before.
A pilgrimage is really just a journey with a spiritual goal.
And the Bible is full of trips. Jesus was continually traveling with his disciples, Moses and the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years…and if the apostle Paul hadn’t traveled throughout the Mediterranean, Christianity would never have spread.
All of this is on my mind because when you read this I will be on the island of Sicily with a group of Guideposts readers, touring the historical sites. And Syracuse, on the island of Sicily is one of the places Paul visited on his way to Rome (see Acts 28:12).
But our journey is not simply about following in the footsteps of Paul, we’ll be visiting fine museums viewing the art of centuries. I’m looking forward to seeing the Caravaggios in Messina, especially his haunting vision of the resurrected Lazarus. Rumor has it that he painted Lazarus from a corpse.
There’ll be plenty of time for fine dining and the group getting to know each other. Guideposts readers, from my experience, are a particularly simpatico group. The spiritual goal of this trip? Fellowship.
In the meanwhile, I’m thinking of the concept of traveling mercies, those prayers we all need for the journey, no matter where we travel.
“The Lord will protect you on your journeys–whether going or coming–from now until forever from now,” says the Psalmist (Psalm 121:8).
That prayer works whether you’re about to board a transatlantic jet or a bicycle in the neighborhood.
God go with you wherever you go.
