Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash
There’s a difference between a tourist and a pilgrim, and it has nothing to do with the destination. A tourist moves through a place without being moved by it. A pilgrim cannot make that trip — something about the distance, the discomfort, the arrival — makes home mean something it didn’t before. Are you traveling, or are you being transformed?
Highways to Zion — “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a spring; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion.” (Psalm 84:5-7 ESV) Where is something difficult becoming an unexpected gift?
Seeking a Homeland — “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.” (Hebrews 11:13-14 ESV) Where are you living as though you belong somewhere else?
Spiritual Move: Prayer Walk — Set out with intention and open attention. Walk a familiar route slowly, noticing what surfaces — gratitude, grief, questions, beauty. When you return, sit with what came up. The road has something to say if you give it time. “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you.” (Joshua 1:3 ESV)