El Camino de Santiago (The Way of St. James) is “a 500-mile trail in northern Spain that serves as a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts for thousands of hikers annually. Tradition has it that the remains of the Apostle James are buried in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, at the end of the trail.” This hiking trail serves as the setting of a new movie entitled The Way that tells the story of one man’s pilgrimage spurred by his grief on the death of his son. While Christian reviewer Kenneth R. Morefield does not categorize the movie as an “evangelistic” film, he is of the opinion that it is “Christian” in the sense that it “depict[s] people asking the most fundamental of spiritual questions … [and] it is situated in a place in which spiritual questions are framed in a Christian context.”
What’s a pilgrimage anyway? Most religions have some kind of pilgrimage tradition. It usually means a journey to some sacred place, perhaps the acknowledged center of the religion, which usually relates to a significant or miraculous event, or the birthplace or burial place of its founder. If the attitude is right, the traveller would be seeking an experience with the divine. This kind of pilgrimage, however, has also taken a very secular character—like visiting a war memorial, or the tomb of some celebrity. An encounter with the divine is not in the picture at all.
Many professing Christians talk about the desire to visit the “Holy Land.” But sometimes one wonders whether it is a true spiritual pilgrimage or simply a recreational kind of trip that is sought. That is, is one going as a true pilgrim or as a mere tourist?
A common picture of the Christian life is that of a pilgrimage. All of life is moving toward that most sacred “place” that transcends all earthly shrines. It’s the place where one finally stands in the very fullness and presence of God. For life to follow the way of true pilgrimage, every aspect must be focused toward that one direction. One must adopt the mindset that seeks the answers to the deep questions of life in God. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage” (Psalm 84.5 NIV). Hearts “set on pilgrimage” are hearts set on the ways of God. They are “looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God … Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them” (Hebrews 11.10, 16 NIV).
Is your heart “set on pilgrimage?”
—Keith Y. Jainga