A Pilgrimage To Eternity
Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good ways is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” (Jeremiah 6:16)
I am stealing the title of Timothy Egan's book A Pilgrimage To Eternity. I own the book, and it is on my reading list, but my devotion has nothing to do with his faith journey from Canterbury to Rome. Perhaps I will write a devotion on his pilgrimage after I've read his book. Today, I want to encourage your pilgrimage.
First, you need not drop $15,000.00 in travel expenses to have a profound spiritual journey. Every day is another step in our pilgrimage to eternity. Throughout most of Christian history, pilgrimages were done on foot. Many had spiritual destinations, like Jerusalem, as their goal. Yet, glamorous locales are not a requirement for a spiritual pilgrimage. I have a small metal labyrinth, 8 inches in diameter. You can slowly trace the labyrinth's grooves with a small wooden stick the size of a pencil. The grooves have long, straight sections and then narrow sections. Following the labyrinth's path, as small as it is, provides a moment of spiritual movement, providing the time to reflect on your life journey thus far along the path to eternity.
Your pilgrimage can be as simple as a walk in the park or a day in meditation. Your pilgrimage might be a day alone, writing stories of your spiritual life. You can write about your first experience when God was real to you. You can write a story about a time when you were scared, and God provided a means of escape. Your pilgrimage writing can include when God brought someone into your life when you needed them most. Likewise, you can write about a time when you were the person God used to help someone else.
I aim to help you think about your spiritual pilgrimage to eternity differently. If you like to talk with others more than sitting alone on a computer, perhaps your pilgrimage can take place in a small group of trusted and faithful friends. The key to your pilgrimage to eternity is to take the first step and stick with it over the long haul. Use the frustrating and slow moments along your journey as sacred because no meaningful pilgrimage is without unexpected challenges. Finally, whether your journey is with a group of people or alone, invite God along. God will make every step profound along the way.