Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage (Ps. 84:5)
I enjoyed (endured?) many lectures at Seminary but one that stood out was by a visiting academic describing her experience of “Camino de Santiago”[1], a roughly 800km pilgrimage from the Pyrenees Mountains to the Cathedral of Santiago, Spain. For over 1000 years Christians, completing this pilgrimage, have collected a Scallop[2] shell from the beach of Santiago as a memorial of their walk with God.
I was captivated by her story because the Christian life is a pilgrimage. The concept of the faith journey as pilgrimage was also something the ancient Hebrews understood. Indeed, they regularly enacted this by travelling to the Temple in Jerusalem for the great religious festivals.
Pilgrimage is a useful metaphor, because, as any marathon runner or distance walker will tell you, there are times when we feel we cannot go on. Pilgrims “pass through the Valley of Baca” (Ps 84:6a). Baca is a dry, barren valley and its name means “weeping”. Scholars can’t identify Baca’s location because, in truth, Baca appears in every pilgrimage.
Pilgrims are familiar with sorrow, tears and struggle. But our final song is one of joy because in the dry, barren places we find springs of water (.6b, c.f. Jn. 4). This Sunday may God’s Spirit satisfy our thirst and send us out equipped to help fellow pilgrims through “Baca”.
God Bless,
Sean
[1] “Way of St. James”
[2] The Methodist Church of Southern Africa’s logo is a Scallop Shell – a reminder that we are pilgrims.