On the second day of the pilgrimage these pilgrims visited the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus’ disciples earned their living as fishermen. An old boat picked them up and they travelled across the sea. The area is very serene and peaceful and it isn’t commercialised so it could almost seem like it was still in Jesus’ time. There were still a lot of fishermen and the Mass on the shores of Lake Galilee was peaceful and the pilgrims could really feel that Jesus had been there. This, it seems, was a highlight for the pilgrims, as it was less commercialised and more tranquil. Many people were able to use this day for meditation and prayer.
The next day they travelled further south to the River Jordan, where John the Baptist baptized Jesus and there were people being baptised there, fully submerged. They also visited Nazareth, where the Angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was carrying the Son of God and where Jesus lived as a child. In the streets there were children running around and this reminds people that Jesus was once a child like them, he wasn’t always 30 years old! The pilgrims also travelled past where Jesus was tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights. They visited Galilee and Capernaum, where Jesus carried out his ministry. They went into the room where the last supper was held, which was a very moving experience.
The following day they visited Masada, where the Jews resisted the Roman army. Also, some of the places where biblical scrolls were found were visited including Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered.
During the rest of their stay they visited the tomb of King David, Lazarus’ house where he was raised from the dead by Jesus, the Mount of Olives, the church of the Holy Sepulchre (where the tomb was), the site where St Peter’s House was believed to have been, Zacheus (the tax collector's) tree and the site where the sermon on the mount was preached.
As is very clear from this description, there is a lot to see and do in Jerusalem. Pilgrims may do some or all of this while they are there. Jerusalem is place of great importance to the Christian faith, it allows opportunity for strengthening of faith, spiritual refreshment and time for Christian fellowship as the past is explored.
Why some Christians go on Pilgrimage and the effect it has on them
There are many reasons why people go on pilgrimages. These can range from curiosity to desperation. One reason could be spiritual discipline; people may want to show God that they are devoted to him and want to know him better. For some it could be that they want to increase their faith and back it up, they visit scenes that portray their faith so that they can see why they believe what they do. Visiting biblical sites, especially in Jerusalem, can help the pilgrim to picture scenes more clearly and so understand the bible more. A pilgrimage can also be a break from everyday life give time for a person with a busy life to concentrate on their faith for a while and then try to fit what they discover onto their home lives. It can also give people who are insecure about their faith a confidence boost, as they can meet up with others who share their beliefs. It could also just be that they want to pray for themselves or others, and feel that a pilgrimage is the perfect time to do so.
Some pilgrimage sites also are believed to have healing powers, so people go and visit if they want to be healed, spiritually or physically.
When I asked someone who has been to Jerusalem why they went they said ‘ I am a convert. I never used to be religious but I am now a Catholic. I went on a pilgrimage because my faith was still quite young and I wanted to affirm it. My wife has been a Catholic all her life so I wanted to get where she was in faith.’ A common reason why people go on pilgrimage is because of insecurities in their beliefs. Seeing everything and being with all the other Christians helps reaffirm what someone already believes.
A pilgrimage can have profound effects on a person; sometimes it can help them to put everything into prospective. I t could also make them very sure of their faith. I asked 4 pilgrims what they thought and they said:
‘ It was life changing. My family wasn’t very supportive of my faith and made me doubt it, but the pilgrimage made me realize my faith was strong’ (Taize)
‘It was amazing thinking that I was actually where Jesus had been and it helped me to feel more for Jesus’ passion.’ (Jerusalem)
‘It helped me understand the bible more, to actually see the places mentioned’ (Jerusalem)
‘It has given a deeper feeling to the Holy Communion for me’ (Jerusalem)
‘There are more important things for Christians to do than go on pilgrimage.’ Do you agree?
My chosen pilgrimage to describe, Jerusalem, seems to have the effect of bringing the bible to life and giving deeper feeling towards Jesus’ life and death. Certainly many curious people would join a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, curious to place Jesus in a real setting, a feeling of ‘could it really have been like that?’. People wishing to show devotion would feel very close to God at such holy sites. Jerusalem would be the perfect place to feel a part of a worldwide Christian movement and these sites would bring a sense of peace to troubled or isolated people.
There are many sides to this argument and many people find it hard to see all of them. If you’ve never been on a pilgrimage then your opinion will most probably differ from someone who has. My main opinion is that pilgrimage is not the most important thing for a Christian to do, but by so doing they may be strengthened in faith to carry out more important things at home, such as teaching others or helping charities.
In studying evidence about pilgrimages, I have discovered that they can be very helpful to Christians in many different ways. They can feel closer to God, be inspired to spread the word of God, have doubts settled, pray and give thanks and even be physically, mentally, or spiritually healed. Pilgrimages do not take a lot of time and can actually be life altering. It does not matter what form a pilgrimage takes, whether it is to an historical site, the site of a vision or to a holy well, the benefit to Christians can be tremendous. Maybe the value of the pilgrimage has to be measured in the pilgrim’s increased ability to carry out a good Christian life. In today’s world it is increasingly difficult, for young people especially, to express their Christian faith in their every day life and attempt to carry out their Christian witness. People are disillusioned by religion and quick to identify minority opinions, possibly displaying ridicule or even violence towards them. In some countries it is still dangerous to declare a Christian faith. For these reasons, pilgrimages are important.
However, some people believe that there is no biblical evidence to support the need for pilgrimage. They believe that it is rather self-indulgent to seek such help when a Christian should be serving others. There is also the argument that some of the pilgrimage sites are based on ‘flimsy’ evidence – one person’s word. Even some of the sights in Jerusalem cannot be historically proven to be exact. This is a quote from Discoveries from the time of Jesus ‘ Once more, the verdict on the Holy Sepulchre has to be – possible but not certain.’ The importance that some people used to give to pilgrimage no longer really exists, as the devotion was in the walking of many miles to a holy site. Nowadays the package tours do the work for the pilgrim.
Having considered the many opinions, I, personally, still believe that pilgrimage is not the most important thing for a Christian to do, but there are many good reasons to take part in one. A Christian is striving to serve others and spread the word of God, and they may be strengthened in these aims by making a pilgrimage, especially to Jerusalem. In conclusion, one could say that there are more important things for Christians to do than to go on pilgrimage, but pilgrimage itself could actually help a Christian to do those things.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Exploring a theme – Journeys CEM
Discoveries from the time of Jesus - Alan Millard - Lion book
Travelink trips
Jerusalem and the Holy Land - Dorling Kindersley
I would also like to thank Pat and Alan White for the interview about their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
