A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Usually, this is a physical journeying (often on foot) to some place of special meaning to the believer of a particular religious belief system. The great Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca (now in Saudi Arabia), is obligatory for every able Muslim. In the spiritual literature of Christianity, the concept of pilgrim and pilgrimage may refer to the experience of life in the world (considered as a period of exile). Wesley Granberg- Michaeson describe it well, “Pilgrimage is as much about the journey as the destination. The point is not simply to get somewhere, but to expect that the process itself will reveal unexpected discoveries (serendipity), test and nurture spiritual strength, build new relationship along the way, and strengthen our exercise of faith. The pilgrimage of Christianity in the world today requires attentiveness to whom we meet, openness to new understandings, unwavering trust that the Holy Spirit continues to prepare the way, guiding us into all truth.”[1]
[1] From Time Squares to Timbuktu, Wesley Granberg- Michaelson, Ed. Eerdmans, 2013. P.6