Joy through Pilgrimage

In the West we spend a lot of money and time on entertainment – in search of distraction, laughter fun – enjoyment.  Many of these things in of themselves are good and wholesome – but are we searching for something – and instead of finding the real thing, are we settling for something that can only give us a temporary fix, a momentary escape – a fleeting glimpse of what deep down we are looking for.

The Psalms and many other parts of Scripture place a high value on joy – ‘The joy of the Lord is my strength!’ Nehemiah 8:10 

These pilgrims’ psalms mention it too.  There is this sense that there is a deep joy, connected to the Shalom, Well-being, Wholeness and Peace of knowing the Living God the Maker of Heavens and Earth – and this joy can only be found through the way of pilgrimage and discipleship.