Off on a Pilgrimage

Tomorrow I hop a plane, step one in a journey to go backpacking in Turkey.

I’m so not ready. I haven’t learned Turkish, although I’ve been staring at this language book, repeating sounds from a CD, and am not at all sure that it will help me ask anyone in Istanbul, Pazar yeri nerede? (Where’s the bazaar?) And hopefully I won’t need to know Ambulans cagirin. (Call an ambulance!)

I’m so not ready, but I am excited. I’ll be walking on roads walked by St Paul and St Peter. Some of the buildings they saw still exist, in ruins, to be sure, but still existing.

En route to Turkey I’ll visit the first Christian worship places I heard about as a teenager, the catacombs in Rome. I’ll reflect on worship in an underground cemetery, hiding from the governing authorities that outlawed our faith. Then I’ll reflect on St Ignatius and others who died as martyrs in various places when I visit the Flavian Amphitheater (aka Coliseum). I hope to read again, but in that very place, the letter Ignatius wrote in preparation for his coming death by mauling.

Once in Turkey there are more sites to visit then I’ll have time for. But because I’m backpacking rather than on an organized tour, I’m rather flexible, and may change my mind about itinerary more than once. The two definite destinations are the Hagia Sophia, of course, in Istanbul, and the magnificent ruins of Ephesus. Within reach of Ephesus are the ruins of Pergamum and Sardis. Further inland in Cappadocia are the incredible underground churches from the 3rd century, with many icons and frescoes still intact. Farther to the south is Demre, where St Paul changed boats and St Nicholas was Bishop. The tomb of St Nicholas is there. But alas, miles are too many and days too few; it’s doubtful I’ll get that far.

Why am I doing all this? One of the central spiritual disciplines of Christian faith (as well as all the major religions) is pilgrimage, or “sacred journey.” (For a good article, see Spiritual Journey and Pilgrimage)

Pilgrims are working out, in a physical way, their desire to journey deeper into God. Just as we seek inner cleansing with physical water (baptism), and spiritual nourishment with physical bread and wine, so the pilgrim seeks a spiritual journey by moving long and hard across physical space. My prayer for this trip, is not for peace and safety — but for another deep encounter with a dangerous God!

The Lord be with you.