In her book on pilgrimage, Christine Valters Painter suggests: “Pilgrimage is an archetypal experience, meaning that the metaphor of journey for the spiritual life is found across time and traditions. Is there a greater adventure than plunging into our own depths and uncovering what the mystics have told us for centuries: the heart of God beating within our own? Pilgrimage calls us to be attentive to the divine at work in our lives through deep listening, patience, opening ourselves to the gifts that arise in the midst of discomfort, and going out to our own inner wild edges to explore new frontiers.”

As we embark on this journey, we are being invited to engage as pilgrims and it can be helpful to distinguish the pilgrim from the tourist. Both can have the same itinerary, but the pilgrim is seeking the heart of God and the tourist is seeking an experience of some kind – in relationships, places, or things. The pilgrim relates to what is happening and the tourist observes what is happening. The pilgrim allows themselves to be affected and the tourist seeks to insulate themselves. The pilgrim is giving themselves to a sacred journey of the heart. The tourist is taking what seems interesting or novel. The pilgrim allows the journey to strip them, and the tourist accumulates along the way. The pilgrim keeps asking: God, how are you with me? What are you up to? The tourist asks: why is this food, experience, or person not what I expected? The pilgrim seeks to see God in the midst of all things. The tourist takes a selfie.

So, the question: will you be a pilgrim or a tourist?

Its easy to get off course, to momentarily lose our way on a journey like this. What will guard us on the journey ahead? What will keep us on the path that moves toward the house of the Lord? As we encounter whatever comes our way, this simple question can redirect our route: in this moment, am I being a pilgrim or a tourist?

This question can make all the difference. The tourist will want to quit when it gets hard or perhaps spiral into self-pity and self-focus. The pilgrim will look for what’s next, what is being invited by the Lord. The tourist expects things to be a certain way, and the pilgrim looks with curiosity at what God might be doing next.

Put simply: the tourist is looking for themselves, and the pilgrim is seeking God.

Prayer: Lord, give me a heart set on pilgrimage. May I live and approach all things not as a tourist but with a heart that is looking for You in all things. In Your mercy, may I dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.

NOTE: we begin a 40 day reflection on Psalms of Ascent on March 5. If you would like to receive the daily email/reflection in your inbox and/or you would like to be a part of the Zoom gatherings (5 times) over the 40 days – click here to learn more.