Are You a Spiritual Tourist or Pilgrim?

By John Coulombe

Provided by CN Building Adult Ministries Resource Center

In 1869, Mark Twain wrote his book, Innocents Abroad. Here’s a snippet from his thinking: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely . … Broad, wholesome, charitable views . . . cannot be acquired by vegetating in one’s little corner of the earth.”

Contrary to common thought, Phil Cousineau in his work, The Art of Pilgrimage—The Seeker’s Guide to Making Travel Sacred, suggests that the object of pilgrimage is not rest and recreation nor to get away from it all. Rather, he argues, a pilgrimage throws down a challenge to everyday life. He continues: “travel brings a special kind of wisdom if one is open to it.” There appears to be great purpose to a pilgrimage. It is to be an inward journey to bring even closer those people, places and things that have or have had meaning in our lives over the years—and that requires openness, attentiveness and responsiveness to the surroundings. Cousineau suggests it also requires one be hardy. “They trudge rough roads, put in long days, sometimes live on bread crusts . . . but often sleep well!” In fact, the very word travel comes from an older word, travail, and itself has a Latin root, tripalium, which was a medieval torture rack!

So what lures us to get out and travel? Either it will torture and torment us or there’s a chance it will ‘stretch us’! Not just our bodies, but also our minds, our spirits, our relationships, our understanding. Before the development of tourism, travel was considered to be study. The traveler was out to explore, discover, learn and gain insight. And then the jet plane changed it all. Now that it’s easier to travel around the world on the wings of supersonic jets or via the Internet, it often leaves us casual, thoughtless and heartless about our journeys.

There’s a distinct difference I’ve noted over my years of travel, between being a tourist and a pilgrim:

Tourists . . .are always in a hurry and not quite sure where they are going; are sightseers, who skim the surface; visit the attractive and popular locations and only do so when it is convenient; want everything in life to be comfortable and ‘trouble free;’ look for the high points along the way and take the roads with least resistance and ‘the roads most traveled;’ are often insensitive to and unaware of those around them.

Pilgrims . . .are patient and set their sights not just on the ‘sites,’ but also on the insights and the ultimate goal of the journey; are “experience-makers” who take a risk looking deep inside; visit significant locations and realize not everything in life is timely, handy or always favorable; know it’s not always pleasant, restful, comfy or safe and accept that as part of life; travel the high mountains as well as low valleys, and learn to appreciate and accept both; care and share with those they meet along the way, as well as those with whom they are traveling.

A pilgrim is a wanderer with a purpose. So, fellow pilgrims, awaken the wonderment of the trip of a lifetime, filled with meaning, surprise and blessing.

John Coulombe has served for 20 years as Pastor to Senior Adults at First Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, California.