Sermon on Pilgrimage for April 5

This is the last sermon in the Spiritual Practices series. This one is on Pilgrimage; taking a spiritual trip.

It is also Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem while people waved palm branches and shouted Hallelujah. They tie together nicely.

Recently someone reiterated the old adage “If you don’t get off your backside you can’t get on your feet” I was going to use the original language of that expression but it might get confusing as that is what Jesus rode into Jerusalem.

The idea of a pilgrimage is ancient. Almost all religions have it as part of their beliefs. It is a physical representation of a spiritual journey. In some faiths it is a requirement while others merely encourage it. The three religions that have Abraham as their founder: Islam, Judaism and Christianity all focus primarily on sites in the Holy Land as destinations. Other religions have places around the world where something special happened like the birth or death of an important person or maybe a place where there was some divine interaction . Some people find the journey moving. Some find it spiritual or even mystical. The destination itself is important but the travel and even the preparation are important contributing factors

The pilgrimage that Jesus made was not so much a journey to a holy site but rather a journey to a place of religious and political power. The expression “Bringing truth to Power” works well here. He knew he had to face reality. He knew that if he was going to further his message he would have to face the obstacle that was also the most fearful.

Sometimes our pilgrimages can be a physical journey to a holy site but other times, like Jesus, it may be a journey to a reckoning. There may be a hurdle that we have to face: an obstacle that is also the most fearful part of our life. As Martin Luther King Jr said: “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.

When people take a traditional pilgrimage to a holy site they do so in order to clarify the issues that cloud their life’s condition, so too if we are taking an inner voyage.

The first step is the preparation and the first question is: Are you ready? So often we decide that we need to take that trip. Perhaps it is to start or end a relationship. Maybe it is to get a new job or home. Maybe it is to refocus our personal and spiritual priorities. Whatever the need: are we ready?

Jesus knew he had to take the journey to Jerusalem. He went there as a child but this time, it was very different. This was to be his signature journey. He didn’t take it at the beginning of his ministry because he would not have had things in place to explain the new meaning of his life. His friends would not have yet understood the purpose of his action.

For ourselves if we suddenly embark on a pilgrimage without preparation, we will find we often turn back shortly after we start. Picture Peter, seeing Jesus walking on the water and without thinking he jumps out and stands on the water. Then he sinks. He wasn’t prepared for the new ability that he had. His doubt caused him to sink. If we are not prepared for the new self, we may get scared and fall back. As we take this pilgrimage we will discover new aspects and abilities. We need to be ready to accept them.

Another way that Jesus prepared was he told his disciples to go and find a donkey foal that had never been ridden on.

When Caesar returned from a battle he would ride victoriously into town on a magnificent white horse, demonstrating his majesty and power. Jesus chose a young donkey demonstrating his vulnerability (and his sense of humour), showing that he was not about the power of violence but rather about the power of love.

The same is true of our journeys. How we prepare indicates our intentions. Not everyone who goes to a holy site does so to improve their spirituality. Periodically we read of armies who go to holy shrines to destroy. The Romans destroyed the Jewish temple, but many times since then holy places have been levelled. If you are going to destroy you take different equipment. If you are going on a spiritual quest, you take faith, love and hope.

Jesus took something that was unconventional; a donkey. Taking a spiritual pilgrimage is unconventional. Using love as your means of motivation is equally unique but if you are to succeed it is a must.

The next step is the actual journey. I am sure that as Jesus stepped over that donkey he did so with both determination and hesitancy. He knew he would be cheered and condemned.

As you journey, you will find supporters and detractors. Many times I have heard people say that they were concerned about what the “other people” would think and then they found that there was great support from people they never would have dreamed of. On the other hand you will always find people who think you shouldn’t rock the boat. You should just put up with the status quo. Those are people who are afraid. They are afraid that if you can change, there is pressure on them to do the same.

As Jesus rode along he had tremendous support. There were palm branches and cloaks thrown down. They were a sign of honour. The people were shouting Hallelujah. It was a tremendously uplifting time for him but he knew they were people in that crowd who were plotting to kill him. (If it had been in today’s world he likely would have been fined for littering) (if it had been recently there would have only been 5 people at the parade). The point being that you carry on with your pilgrimage regardless of what others think as it is not their journey – but yours.

Finally you reach your destination which is really the beginning of a new journey. Any successful pilgrimage opens a new door. The author, Henry Miller says “ One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things”

When people travel to a holy site or space as a pilgrimage and if they are prepared for the revelation, then a whole new world begins. When you think you have reached a spiritual destination, you have really only reached the bottom rung of a dynamic ladder. When Jesus reached Jerusalem, he conquered his fear and confronted his mission. A whole new chapter was beginning for him. There was no turning back.

When you reach a true destination in your pilgrimage, there is no turning back.

If you have ever been stuck in a relationship, a job or a lifestyle that was unfulfilling and you journeyed out of it, there was no turning back. If you were ever stuck in a religion (as Jesus was) that was unsatisfying and you flourished out of it, there was no turning back.

Right now we are stuck in this pandemic. I do not believe that God “sent” this to us. (more next week on that) There is no turning back. It is a journey that none of us chose so there was little or no preparation. But we can make it into a spiritual pilgrimage. There will be hardships and losses. There will be support from unknown and unexpected sources. There will be divine support. There will be a destination that will be a new beginning.

Life itself is a journey. It can be so much more as a pilgrimage.

Jesus took that pilgrimage to Jerusalem. If he hadn’t, we never would have heard of him.

Each of us faces a road. We have the opportunity of stepping on to that highway or standing beside it. Some of the people who stood along the roadway that Jesus travelled were excited about the opportunity but chose to stand beside it and not follow. They missed “the road less traveled” They missed their chance at pilgrimage and so missed their chance at a new beginning

I hope that one or all of these six spiritual practices: Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving, Meditation, Solitude and Pilgrimage will lift spirit in this time.

As you travel with God may you find a heightened awareness of the presence of God.

Prayer

God, today we pray for all those affected by this pandemic. We pray for support for the front line workers who are risking their lives that others may live; we pray for those who have contracted this virus, that they may be strong and healing may occur. We pray for those who struggle to pay bills that generosity may well up and compassion may take the lead.

We pray for those who are struggling with other illnesses and pains: those in sorrow, fear, violence and uncertainty and we pray that as we journey through all of our situations, we may ever be aware of the strength and love you have for us. Amen