Day 11 - Pilgrim

I have been rather loose with the definition of a hymn. Many Lent resources refer to journeying, both following Jesus to Jerusalem and our own following of the narrow way. Our lives should be a spiritual journey of curiosity. All religions are based on the idea of pilgrimage, an (often hard) trek of discipleship. (Hindus have moshka, Buddhists nirvana, Islam complete submission to Allah, while Sikhs strive for enlightenment.)

I was recently introduced to the Enya song, Pilgrim, written by Roma Ryan. The music is lilting and haunting while the words are intriguing. Enya was raised Catholic but describes herself as more spiritual than religious. Ryan’s lyrics were partly inspired by Nelson Mandela, who said, "I am just an ordinary person trying to make sense of the mysteries of life"; this is captured in the song as Pilgrim, how you journey on the road you chose to find out why the winds die and where the stories go.

Mandela also said, "We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us” which, I suspect, was Ryan’s inspiration for Will you find the answer in all you say and do? Will you find the answer in you? This has echoes of James 2:24 & 26 (NIV): You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

During my research for this piece, I found that someone had posted online: “But... what if I find out who I am, and I really don't like that person?” The Good News for us is that if we journey with God, not only we but also God will like us!

The song considers our desire to reach conclusions by ourselves, without the influence of society, which is typical post-modern thinking. As Christianity is no longer regarded by most people as the norm, this plays into God’s plan – folk seeking the truth in all the consumerism, Internet follies and basic selfishness.

We want to know why the winds die – in other words what is the end for us. Are the stories by which we live falsehood or truth? Secular thought is that all days come from one day whereas we Christians might consider that day as Good Friday or Easter Sunday. Even if we go with the idea of our own birth, we can interpret that as our rebirth – being born again. (John 3:3)

We recognise that the past is immutable and we need to live with it and move on, literally or figuratively. As Christians all sins can be confessed and absolved, although there may still be consequences to live with. All art is open to interpretation and that includes song lyrics but I broadly agree with @adegoode who wrote: “When it comes to life’s journey, each person has a unique one. No carpooling here.”

Heavenly Father, we thank you that when we seek you, we find you and you make our lives complete. Amen.

Elaine Kinchin