As a hiker I have always had a fascination with pilgrimages. Whether it be the Jesus Trail in Israel, the Pilgrim's Way in England, or the Camino de Santiago in Spain, there is something very compelling about going on a pilgrimage. To be on a quest, out in the wilderness, seeking truth, upward and onward, just you and God.
It turns out that I'm not alone. Millions of Christians go on pilgrimage every year, traveling all over the world to all kinds of places for all kinds of reasons. This is no recent phenomenon. Since at least the 4th century, Christian people have been traversing the globe for holy purposes.
It's no wonder why the book The Pilgrim's Progress has been so popular over the years. It was at one time second only to the Bible in popularity. It is the classic tale written by John Bunyan in 1678 about the journey of a young man named Christian from the City of Destruction through toil, trial, and trouble all the way to the Celestial City. It's an allegory, a great piece of literature, one of the first novels written in the English language.
There are many positive aspects about the book. It is filled with interesting characters like the Giant Despair of Doubting Castle, as well as creative place names like the Slough of Despond. From a theological point of view there are certainly some positives as well. The Bible is rightly held up as the only authority for faith and life. Sinfulness is shown as the natural condition of all men. The world is exposed as corrupt and broken, and salvation is needed for people to escape death and hell. That's all fine and good. But there's something missing - especially at the beginning of the story.
It's an element that, if it had been there in the first few paragraphs, the book could have been a whole lot shorter. So what is it? In short, it's the Gospel.
Before he leaves on his quest, Christian is burdened by his sin and the coming judgment upon the city. He meets the Evangelist and asks him, "What must I do to be saved?" Now, what Evangelist should have done (if he were really an evangelist) is preach the gospel to him! What he should have said was, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved! You and your whole family!" (Acts 16:31). But instead he hands a parchment to him that says, "Flee from the wrath to come." He can't even bring himself to say it, and he hands him a religious tract instead.
Another problem right at the outset is that Christian leaves his family behind to go on his quest. What happened to his vocation of husband and father? Even when they come running after him, he puts his fingers in his ears and runs away, caring only for his own salvation. We could spend a lot of time here on the doctrine of vocation, but that’s probably another article for another time.
It’s interesting to note that Martin Luther went on a pilgrimage at one point in his life. In the year 1510, while at university in Erfurt, Germany, he traveled all the way to Rome on foot - a journey of over 1,000 miles that took 70 days one way. He was excited at first to see the grandeur of Rome, but when he got there he was quite disappointed to find widespread corruption and abuse taking place at the highest levels of the church. It was an important reality check for him, and he came back to Germany more determined than ever to clearly and boldly proclaim the truth of God’s Word.
In the fall of 2010, for the 500th anniversary, a writer named Andrew Wilson retraced the journey that Martin Luther made from Erfurt, Germany to Rome. One thing he came to realize is that Luther would have been a hiker his whole life long, not just during his long pilgrimage to Rome. He would have had to walk pretty much everywhere. Just like Jesus.
They say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. What they don’t tell you is that Jesus has already made the journey for you. He’s already walked the road. He’s already made that pilgrimage. He’s paved the way as our pioneer and perfector, the founder and finisher of our faith. For he went the way of sorrows, the Via Dolorosa, all the way to the cross and to the tomb for us and for all.
That’s a good reminder for us as we continue to celebrate the Reformation, this year highlighting Luther’s important work from 1520, The Freedom of a Christian. For that is what the Reformation was and is all about. The freedom that comes by God’s grace through faith in Christ alone. For ultimately the Christian life isn't about progress, it's about a promise. The Pilgrim's Promise.
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