Pilgrimage (Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture)

When I think of a pilgrimage, a visit to a holy site, such as Mecca (for Jews) comes to mind. This allows me to meditate on my life, pray to my deity, or repent of my sins. It occurs when I enter onto sacred ground to engage in a ritual, such as praying or dancing. As Edith Turner states, "One purifies oneself by penance and travel, then has one's prayer amplified by asking a saint at his own chief shrine to forward it directly to God "(pg. 16).  I view a pilgrimage as a journey toward a sacred site to contemplate on my faith.

Though I have not taken a pilgrimage to any holy site, I have visited sites that afforded me to seek communion with God and to escape from school. The Nolan Trail is one example. Despite my infrequency of treading the trail, I can explain how it serves as a journey. The trail is  a long, winding course that takes me through various spots in the woods. One spot has me sitting on a bench that offers a view of the river. 

 

Another spot, near the Lion's Gate Bridge (before the trail begins) provides a panoramic view of the vast river.

                                                  

 The Nolan Trail is one site where I can walk through the woods alone or with a friend. My time at the allowed me to tune into nature and listen to its chirps, whistles, squeaks, quacks, etc. Any spot that offers one to escape one's hectic lifestyle to pray and commune with God can be sacred-depending on if the space is conducive for meditation or prayer. The site, itself, must be quiet and serene, a conducive location to reflect on one's beliefs. Though this is true, one site may be holy to one, but profane to another-it all depends on the site as Belden Lane asserted, "Sacred place is not chosen, it chooses" (pg. 19). 

A pilgrimage is all about casting away any doubts, fears, anxieties, and reservations one may still hold in (re)connecting to one's faith. Turner explains, "Pilgrimage, then, offers liberation from profane social structures that are symbiotic with a specific religious system.....(pg. 9)