Pilgrim

Image by Unsplash

The sunshine has broken through at last and over the next weeks, many of us will go on holiday, some travelling to far-flung shores and others to the nearest seaside resort. Most of us don’t think of these journeys as pilgrimages, but when I looked up the word pilgrim, I found that it can just mean ‘a traveller or wayfarer.’

‘Pilgrim’ comes from Late Latin pelegrinus, ‘foreigner, stranger, foreign resident.’ Old French ‘pelerin’ or ‘peregrin’ meant ‘pilgrim, crusader or foreigner, stranger.’ It made its way into English around 1200, as ‘pilegrim’ - ‘a person travelling to a holy place.’

In the Middle Ages, pilgrimages were enormously popular and were undertaken, at least ostensibly, for spiritual benefit. For many it was the only opportunity to see the world, meet new people, expand one’s horizons and have a break from the daily round. Much as it is for us today. And to hear and tell some tales, as for Chaucer’s pilgrims in his 14th century ‘Canterbury Tales.’

Despite the decline of Christian faith in the West, pilgrimages have risen enormously in popularity in recent years – with Santiago de Compostela attracting over 446,000 pilgrims in 2023.

We may not think of our summer break as a journey with a spiritual purpose, but for many of us a holiday does afford us time and space to step back and think about our lives or Life. We can gain more objectivity and perspective. We can slow down and unwind, which benefits us holistically – body, mind and spirit.

Holidays can be challenging. Expectations are raised, which can add strain to relationships. Travelling can be tiring and stressful. Sometimes we wonder why we bother! And if we have young children, holidays are just as much hard work, just in a different place. Likewise, if you have health issues, managing your condition can be more difficult away from home. But for most of us, the benefits usually far outweigh the challenges. I hope that will be the case for you this summer, if you’re fortunate enough to have a holiday.

I can’t hear the word ‘pilgrim’ without thinking of John Bunyan and his Pilgrim’s Progress, so I’ll leave you with his hymn,

He who would valiant be 'gainst all disaster,

Let him in constancy follow the Master.

There's no discouragement shall make him once relent

His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.