The
rising restlessness leading to crime and chaos, the ever increasing global
quest for authentic spiritual experience forcing people to look for something
new every time and global consciousness of deep
interdependence in the one
world hints at the fact that we
are at the dawn of a new era in the human history. Human more than ever is in
search of his roots and the purpose of his existence today and the tremors can
be felt around the globe and especially in our own country.
Today our organized societal structures including religion seem to be going bankrupt, failing to respond to the crisis of our times. Even you and I, priests and religious have little idea of how to deal with the ongoing chaos and turmoil around us as our long learnt readymade theories prove ineffective.
A
Mystical wind blows over the world today crossing all boundaries of religions
and cultures. Sensitivity to the ultimate mystery is awakened even in scientists,
philosophers and artists….The crisis felt in the traditional circles of
Christianity is a pointer to the call of the spirit to explore the deeper
dimensions of faith.[1]
Our
times are inviting us to move deeper and listen to the whispers of the spirit
with an open heart, willing to read and learn from the signs of our times. We
too, like our great forefathers are called to walk through life as pilgrims. I
believe, only a pilgrim can understand the deeper nuances of the present global
crisis and find a fitting response to our troubled times.
Who
is a Pilgrim…?
The
word ‘pilgrim’ refers to someone who undertakes a journey to a sacred place as
an act of religious devotion. Reading a little deeper, a pilgrim is someone who
consciously is in search of deeper existential questions. We understand that
the reality around us is mysterious and I believe, it unfolds itself to an
authentic seeker. In fact human is a part and parcel of this mysterious
reality. Thus there is an inbuilt urge in human to know, to love and to be in
relation to (connected) this mystery. Hence will I be wrong when I say, that we
humans have a sense of insecurity in this world and we look for safer harbours?
We often meet people, of different
religions, going on pilgrimages to various sacred places. These pilgrimages are
nothing but a witness to faith. One may very well understand that a spiritual
pilgrim seeks for a divine experience and hence on his/her journey, the pilgrim
is ready for the unseen hardships, uncertainties and sacrifices. A pilgrim,
having willingly undertaken the journey, loves it and is prepared for the
imminent surprises on his way. The external context provides the pilgrim with
an opportunity for a conscious inner journey.
We
as humans on this earth, constantly question life and reality around, but at
the same time there is an inbuilt openness willing to know and accept the
unfolding of the mysterious reality. This tells us that we are intrinsically
pilgrims. Though the pilgrim nature is innate to us very often in our daily
routine overshadowed by the busy living of modern times, we fail to deal with
life and its unforeseen challenges with the same attitude (pilgrim).
Biblical
Pilgrims
Bible
especially the Old Testament overwhelms with the themes of pilgrimage. Gen 22
gives us an account of Abraham’s 3 day journey to Mount Moriah, mountain of the
Lord, to offer him a burnt offering. The horrifying demand to offer his only
son as sacrifice and the uncertainties at every point, eventually results in an
ever deeper relationship between YHWH and Abraham and blessings that followed. Gen
32, highlights pilgrim Jacob(Israel)’s relation to YHWH. Ex 6 presents us yet
another pilgrimage pattern where Journey of Moses, first alone and then with
Israelites, to the Holy Mountain where they receive their call and commission
in the presence of YHWH. Ps 23 tells us that the world as it is truly is and in
the midst of an ongoing transformation by God. The trust and surrender of the Psalmist
serves as a ray of light to every pilgrim.
The
New Testament is a witness to Jesus’ pilgrimage to his Father. On his earthly
pilgrimage from Bethlehem to Calvary, there were several moments where Jesus
received the unfolding of the hidden mysteries. At Jordan, during his baptism,
he was revealed of his identity as the beloved son. The event of transfiguration
provides him with the clarity of his further journey as a pilgrim. And finally his
helpless death on the Calvary, hanging between 2 pieces of wood, paved way to
life eternal. The outcome of his life as a pilgrim that saw unforeseen
challenges and struggles was extraordinary as it opened new horizons to
humanity.
Jesus as the pilgrim of the Father, did
realize on his journey that:
·
The Father sent me (Jn 3, 17; 4, 34; 5,
36-38; 7, 28-29): A clear understanding of his roots.
·
I am in the Father and the Father is in me
(Jn 8, 28; 14, 10): On his pilgrimage on earth, Jesus is revealed of his
constant, ongoing presence in the Father. (Partial incompleteness yet total completeness, by being in the
Father)
·
The Father and I are one (Jn 10, 30; 17,
11; 21, 22): Conviction and clarity of who he really is.
Jesus’
pilgrim approach to life that meant listening, interpreting and responding
creatively to the signs of the time resulted in bringing about a fresh wave in
the traditional Judaism. Infact, through Jesus, the Father revealed himself to
us, humans.
Does
pilgrim Jesus have anything to tell us today?
Pilgrim, on his Journey…
Taking
inspiration from the scriptures, I come to the conclusion that on the pilgrim
journey one experiences:
·
Purification:
Profound openness of a pilgrim, leads to a process of purification, which gives
him/ her greater clarity of the reality around. This possibly happened to the
Israelites on their journey through wilderness.
·
Revelation
and affirmation of one’s individual identify: Though the Old
Testament, largely speaks of the collective identity of Israel, it is very
likely that each of those who entered the Promised Land, were tested and
purified, only to come to believe of their individual identity as a child of
YHWH, beyond the collective identity.
·
Clarity
of Purpose: Pilgrim also realizes the purpose of
his existence, the reason for which he is created for, only by being open to
the present. ( Having a fresh look at the present opposed to looking through
traditional/ institutionalized window)
Signs of Our Times
We
live in a sophisticated yet a chaotic world, where might rules the day. If ISIS
has created an atmosphere of terror at the global level, we Indian Christians are
threatened by the uproar of Hindu extremists. Ghar Wapsi, rising violence against
minorities, push for the anti conversion law, unending church attacks and many
such events do tell us that human is busy today trying to protect religion and
so trying to protect GOD. Isn’t this an anomaly?
The
recent record breaking controversial Hindi Movie – PK challenges the Organized
institutional structure of religion. There is an interesting argument in the
movie in the temple scenario between a shopkeeper and PK(an alien trying to
understand religion and God). Having bought
the statue of a god, PK realizes that it’s not functioning and rushes to return
it to the shopkeeper, saying, “God is not working. His battery must be down.”
Perplexed shopkeeper tries to convince PK saying, that “there is nothing wrong.
I myself created it with my own hands…” PK, not able to understand the logic
behind asks a further question, “Did you create God or God created you?”
As
said earlier people today are desperately trying to protect God (human made)
which is the biggest lacuna of our times. But does God, who is almighty, who
created the universe- need our protection…? But such illogical acts shouldn’t
distract us from reading the work of the spirit, for God can write straight
through crooked lines.
Our
God is a God who walked with his people and revealed himself in the human
history. Hence we need to listen to the
whispers of the spirit and the promptings of the divine in the present
historical setting of our times. What then are the signs of our times pointing
us to? What does the rising restlessness in the human heart, so often expressed
through heinous crimes, invite us to? What does the spirit through the
increasing threat to us as Christians and as religious today in the Indian
context, trying to reveal? What does the actions of Pope Francis- head of the
church, renewing the Vatican even amidst the increasing dissatisfaction of the
traditionalists tell us?
Call
of the Spirit
For
long we have been looking at life and the world around through the structured
and the institutionalized window giving little room to the working of the
spirit, may it be in the realm of religion or in the political, social or
cultural spheres. Institutionalized theories have over powered the ongoing revelations(through
signs of our times) leading to a sense of lethargy and negative energy in the human
community, with no room for freshness. I believe the reality around us is forcing
us as a community (human) to be open to the fresh wind of the spirit that is
blowing over the world. It is time now for us, prompted by the signs of our
times to be aware and live out the pilgrim nature, which is innate to us humans
on this universe. This pilgrim way will help us to find our real identity in
the midst of an ongoing transformation of the world. Looking at life through pilgrim
window might reveal us things unknown, waiting to be disclosed, at this point
in the human history.
Conclusion
The
historical developments of religions have always shown openness to the
authentic divine experiences in other religions. Does that not point us that
the history is slowly leading us to a Religion beyond religions? As Teilhard de
Chardin says in his book, ‘Phenomenon of
Man’, the whole universe is on a move in a direction and will eventually
meet at the Omega Point. The chaotic present around us could very well be
understood as, an attempt of the mysterious reality inviting us to be attentive
to its unfolding in our present historical setting. Are we not slowly moving
towards a point where God is gathering all things in him? (Eph 1, 10)
Do
the words of St Augustine, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you”, have
any message to our present context? As St Paul hints in 1 Cor 13,12a, I believe
the reality around is slowly drawing us to the depths, where we finally meet
the divine face to face.
As mentioned earlier, no longer the
mere theories and the institutionalized responses will serve as solutions to
our present. Hence the call to you and to me is to live out our pilgrim nature
on this universe, to listen with profound openness to the reality, and respond
creatively.
World
has seen enough intellectuals trained in the traditional school of life with
readymade answers. Our chaotic times are longing for true pilgrims. Can you and
I, the priests and religious of today, be true pilgrims in these momentous
times? Can we be pilgrim priests /pilgrim
religious, who are courageous enough to listen to whispers of the spirit
that might be announcing the dawn of a new era in the human history?
Bibliography
- Painadat, Sebastian, Spiritual Co –Pilgrims, Claratian
Publications, Philipines, 2014.
2.
Smith, Mark, The Pilgrimage Patterns in Exodus, Sheffield Academy Press,
England, 1997.
3.
Chardin,
Teilhard, The Phenomenon of Man, Harper and Row Publications, New York, 1959.
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