REFLECTION: ‘Pilgrimage is a physical journey made with spiritual intention. And it’s this mix of physicality and spirituality that makes the practice of pilgrimage such a vital one in the tradition. Physical capability is not enough on pilgrimage. Belief alone is not enough. Experience on its own won’t carry us through. Even desire is not enough. Rather it’s in the coming together of all these characteristics of what it means to be human in the world that make a pilgrimage experience and enable it to shape us for good. The physical journey begins to reveals something of our greater journeys though life. And the questions raised by the physical journey begin to work on us…’
PRACTICE: ‘The first stage of the practice On the Road is a commitment to live with the spirit of pilgrimage. To become willing to see your life right now as a journey, to travel light, to commit to learning from whatever happens on the way, to keep going. And to be changed. The second stage involves making a pilgrimage in the ancient Jesus tradition…’
©Ian Adams ‘Running Over Rocks: spiritual practices to transform tough times’ (Canterbury Press)
Look out for short daily posts around the week’s theme on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll be doing the practices wherever we are, and we’ll look forward to hearing how you get on – do let us know!
Ian’s new collection of poems Unfurling is out now on Canterbury Press, also via your local bookshop, and all usual online sources including Book Depository with free delivery world-wide.