Preparing for Pilgrimage – Stepping into the Story
For centuries, pilgrimages were understood as acts of devotion that merited holiness. Sites such as the scala sancta (holy staircase) were believed to carry the power of sanctification. According to tradition, these were the steps Christ climbed on his way to stand trial before Pontius Pilate, moved from Jerusalem to Rome in the fourth century.
As a young monk, Martin Luther was taught that by climbing these steps on his knees, he could earn enough holiness to release a loved one from purgatory. Whether by climbing the holy stairs, visiting places associated with Christ’s life, or encountering the physical remains of saints like Peter or Paul, pilgrims sought holiness through physical acts of devotion. One could climb, touch, and pray with relics in hopes of sanctifying the self or meriting forgiveness for a loved one.
Luther had a pilgrimage to Rome which proved formative for his career. It may have been aspects of that trip that planted the seeds of the theology he’d later to proclaim. Holiness, he would come to insist, is not something we climb toward or earn, but something given freely in Christ.
Holiness is not at stake on a pilgrimage. Even if going to places that look the part. Instead they give opportunity to step into the physical places of story and history. Which, in experiencing, may shed light on our reading/hearing. These early weeks of sabbatical have looked to understand some of history’s story surrounding where we will be heading this summer. While I briefly shared our itinerary in the newsletter, I want to offer more detail here about the locations we will be visiting and the intent behind our family’s upcoming journey.
Last fall, I applied for and received the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Grant designed to prioritize physical, emotional, theological, and mental renewal. The grant made clear that the proposal should not be devoted solely to study, but should include genuine rest. As a result, our trip has taken shape around a rhythm that alternates learning and exploration with play and rest.
We leave as a family after my wife, Curyn, begins her summer break from teaching. Her parents will join us for the first two weeks of the trip. That should help make the daunting ten-hour flight (with two kiddos under five) and the many hotel nights ahead, more manageable.
Our journey begins in Rome, a city that intersects the stories of Scripture, Paul, Luther, history, and the early Christian church. I have never been, so there will be much to take in. Inevitably, afternoon naps for the girls (and their dad) will be needed. From Rome, we will travel west to rest along the coast in Cinque Terre. After that, we head north to Berlin, where we’ll explore the many layers of history that converge in NE Germany while beginning the Reformation-focused portion of our trip. In Berlin, we will also swap one set of grandparents for the other.
From Berlin, we will journey south into the heart of Luther’s story, visiting sites that shaped both his life and the Reformation. Along the way, we will also pause to remember our own family’s story. My dad immigrated from Germany to the United States as a child in the mid-1960s. We still have the address of the former family home where he spent his earliest years. With my daughters, we hope to take a three-generation photo with my dad in front of that house. Thus capturing a scene that stretches back five generations.
Lastly, after about 4 weeks of travel, learning, and memory-making, we will end with something focused just for my daughters. We are going to stop in Paris for a couple days to check out Disneyland Paris. We haven’t told them about this yet, and hope that at some point when they are getting sick of seeing old churches and buildings, this will give them something to look forward to. If you see my daughter at church to sing with the Sunday School for Mother’s Day, she doesn’t know about Disney. . .So don’t mention it to her, please!
Thank you for your prayers, well-wishes, encouragement, and support. We are excited to step into ancient story, even if we come back no more holy. We will writing memories on the pages of our story.
