If being a Christian were only about going on pilgrimages, not a lot would happen. However, if nobody went on pilgrimages, then all the miracles that happened at the pilgrimage sites would not have happened. There has to be a balance.
What are the alternatives for Christians? Help the poor, sick, disabled; give to charities; help the community; worship. These are all things that can be done on pilgrimages. Many pilgrims take a sick or disabled person on a pilgrimage in the hope of a miracle, or simply so they can enjoy it. There are many collections at pilgrimage sites, where the money can be given to the site and charities. Also, you can obviously worship at the pilgrimage site. Pilgrimage also builds teamwork, as if you are going to do the pilgrimage with a local group, you need to work together. By helping a Christian in his efforts to help people, a pilgrimage is a good and important thing to have.
After the pilgrimage, Christians usually find themselves more active in their community, their faith having been boosted by the pilgrimage. As the previous piece explained, many Christians go on a pilgrimage to calm down. Thus you cannot say that there are more important things for a Christian to do than go on pilgrimage, because going on a pilgrimage, promotes all the other things that a Christian does.
However, this question has been asked in one form or another since Jesus’ time. In the Bible (Matthew 26:6-13) a woman pours expensive ointments on Jesus’ feet. Her actions are questioned, with people saying she could of sold the oil and given the money to charity. In the same way Christians must decide what is more important to them and their community.
“While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked. "This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor."
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her."”
Many Christians go on a pilgrimage at the same time, and this benefits the people that go far more than if they went alone. Therefore, even if one Christian doesn’t need to go on pilgrimage for himself, then he/she should go to help the others on a pilgrimage, to add to the number going and therefore increase the experience.
Some people might say that Christians should keep to the matters that directly affect them, they should work in their own community helping the sick, poor and disabled. This is true to an extent, Christians should not concentrate on things away from home (unless they’re a missionary) if they have bigger problem near them.
The destination of the pilgrimage does not matter, all places of pilgrimage have the same effect of rekindling a Christian’s faith, or even starting it off. Many Christians say that helping people to go on pilgrimages and helping their faith is the best part of their job. The calming effect of pilgrimages can be seen for long after the time, as the pilgrims’ increased faith shows through the community.
The benefits of pilgrimage are not just confined to the time that is spent on the pilgrimage but also long after it is over. Also, the effects are not just confined to the individual pilgrim, nor their Christian community, but to their entire community that the Christian works with, including non-Christians. Therefore, pilgrimage is a great experience that should be shared by everybody, but not so much that the other work of a Christian is lessened.
Peter Armitage 5L RS Coursework Page