Stepwise
By Andrea Lingle
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’ Matthew 17:1–9
Pilgrimage. I don’t really know why we do it. Not just the Missional Wisdom Foundation, but humans. It seems that for all of human history, we have been pilgrimaging. Millions of footprints lead to Mecca, Jerusalem, Avila, Iona, and hundreds of other sacred places. Why? Why do we break our routines, spend our resources, and go to these places? Why, especially, do those of us who believe in the sacredness of all places choose to travel to, seemingly, arbitrary locations for the purpose of communing with the sacred, which, we believe, is everywhere?
And, if those places are worth going to, why wouldn’t we stay? Why would we ever choose to live in places where our soul could not connect with the sacred as deeply as in those pilgrimage places?
Wandering the north shore of Iona, Scotland, I have certainly asked myself that question. Why would I ever leave?
And my answer has always been, “Because, dear soul, if we stayed here, we couldn’t come here.”
When you close your eyes and think about pilgrimage, what do you see? After all the packing of boots and selecting of cushioned socks, what is your hope for what pilgrimage will be? What do you yearn for? Do you envision ending up three clicks past the horizon, with wind-blown curls and blisters, totally transformed by your time on the road? Perhaps you don’t have a clear idea of what pilgrimage will be and are waiting for a bearded sage to interrupt your elevenses with tales of glorious treasures and hideous foes just beyond the bend. Maybe you are hoping for a scheduled transfiguration, following this easy-five-step-program, satisfaction guaranteed?
No matter what your imagined destination (which will surely deviate wildly from reality), there is only one way to get there. One step at a time. Each bend in the road bringing your soul to quiet. Each mile allowing the frenetic pace of making and doing and tending and mending to come to stillness. The Journeying of Pilgrimage is not an incidental inconvenience, it is it. It is pilgrimage. It is not the whole of it, but it is necessary.
I don’t think it is the distance from home, or the method of conveyance that is important. I really think the power of the Journey of Pilgrimage is the anticipation and intention that are baked into the blossoming of the experience. The slow removal of the former things and the anticipation of the coming things are powerful catalysts for spiritual attention which are as gentle and irrevocable as time itself.
Pilgrimage is a multipart movement which begins with Preparation and continues with Journey. While there might be something mystical about the destination, there is profundity to be encountered in the stepwise-ness of the journey which can’t be overlooked or rushed through.
I understand Peter’s transfiguration enthusiasm. The place of pilgrimage, the destination, can feel compelling. Why else would we take the trouble to go there? But the destination is not the purpose or process of pilgrimage. Jesus did not allow the moment of transfiguration to be confused with the work of resurrection. The moment of brilliance, and, yes, there are moments of brilliance on the path of the pilgrim, was not the transformative gesture. The work of the pilgrim is lived out and worked out at the pace of walking. The anticipation and slow releasing into a liminal space can’t be skipped.
So, Pilgrim, whatever your vision, pay attention to the weary Journey.
If you feel inclined, comment with one word or one sentence that answers: What are you preparing for?