An Intervarsity Press Interview about Sacred Travels

Q: How did you discover the practice of pilgrimage?

Christian George: The practice of pilgrimage actually discovered me. My parents named me for a pilgrim—Christian, the main character in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. At a very young age my father and I traveled across the world and I came to understand that the Christian life is a journey to God. When we practice the discipline of pilgrimage we express that reality. Pilgrimage has been a motif in my life for as long as I can remember; it has defined and refined my understanding of the Christian experience, and the more I practice it the more I understand the God who makes straight the way of the pilgrim.

Q: Why is the practice of pilgrimage important in our contemporary culture?

Christian: In a society that struggles to discipline itself, pilgrimage reminds us that we are on an emotional, physical and spiritual journey that requires upward and inward conditioning. Against the backdrop of a postmodern era, pilgrimage reminds us that we were created for a purpose—to draw closer to God. Since Christians are not called to be static saints, pilgrimage keeps us on our toes. It urges us to travel lightly in this land, as though it were a hotel and not a home. These days, technology allows us to trek across the world. Whether it’s to a mossy castle or a musty cathedral, journeying to sacred sites increases our view of God. When we see his hand at work in other cultures and countries, our perspective of him changes. Our worship deepens, our prayers lengthen, and we discover that the God we serve is internationally involved and really does have the whole world in his hands. I suppose you could say pilgrimage is a discipline for the sole and the soul.

Q: What are some important steps for preparing for and fully experiencing a pilgrimage?

Christian: Pilgrimage is not limited to location. It’s not about where we go, when we go or how we go. It’s about why we go. Pilgrimage is an outward demonstration of an inward calling—to follow Christ, wherever the steps may lead. Not only does it expand the horizons of our faith, but it also gives us a greater understanding of our own spiritual journey. A pilgrimage is not a vacation. Pilgrims are not tourists, casually meandering through a city. Nor are they nomads, aimlessly wandering through a wilderness. The pilgrim is a sojourner, a seeker of the city “whose architect and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10). To this end, a pilgrimage is a journey that requires spiritual preparation and reflection.

Q: What are some tips for practicing pilgrimage?

Bring a journal to record your thoughts and prayers. Pilgrimage is a time set apart from the daily routine when we physically and spiritually seek after God. It is a sacred season that tests us, shapes us and prepares us to take our calling as Christians seriously. A record of your progress (and regress) will benefit you down the road. Also, master the art of adaptation. There will always be plane delays, bad food and jet lag.

See more at http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3502

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