Wednesday, April 10
The Spanish poet Antonio Machado once wrote: “Traveler, there is no path; paths are made by walking.” I’ve had the opportunity to travel. With each journey, I’ve learned so much about other places and cultures. I’ve learned how beautiful this world is, with its diversity of peoples, customs, and geography.
Travel is transformative. Each journey is a chance to grow and expand our world view. For me, each journey has been a pilgrimage. I’ve learned to see the sacred in the ordinary and find God’s presence in the most mundane interactions of each journey. Traveling is a central theme in Luke’s gospel. In Luke 9, we are told that “Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem.” Each step, leading up to the dramatic climax of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, was a sacred step; a pilgrimage to the holy city, Jerusalem.
On this journey, Jesus modeled true shalom; teaching his disciples about loving the neighbor, taking care of the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. More than two thousand years later, we are walking that pilgrimage path with Jesus, not just during Lent, but every day. We are like the original disciples, learning at Jesus’ feet. Like them we are learning that the path to God’s kingdom is not an easy path, and the powers of greed, hate, and apathy are still strong.
The liturgical season of Lent is a time to reconnect and rediscover the Spirit of God inside each of us. It is a pilgrimage season, a daily transformative journey with Jesus, to Jerusalem, to the very foot of the cross. Even after the season of Lent is over, we still travel with Jesus because every day is a pilgrimage to the heart of God.
Embrace it and share it knowing that Jesus walks with you. Where are you in your pilgrimage with Jesus?
Prayer: (African-American Spiritual)
“I want Jesus to walk with me
I want Jesus to walk with me
All along my pilgrim journey
I want Jesus to walk with me.”
Amen.
– Miriam Gentle