Dear all,

This September, for the first time, Michael and I are travelling to the United States. We are visiting friends in Boston and New York and then flying to Tennessee. Both of us have always been ambiguous about ever visiting the States – hence never going until now – but there are two places I particularly look forward to seeing: Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Centre in New York, and Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis. For different reasons, they both have a personal significance.

Back in 2001, I watched the twin towers collapse live on TV and will never forget the feelings of terror and helplessness. Around the same time I also discovered Elvis’s music and have been a fan ever since. Visiting the site of the tragedy that deeply shook me and the home of one of the greatest musicians who have ever lived will certainly be an emotional experience. Reflecting on it now, both trips almost feel like a pilgrimage, as I am sure they do for many others who visit every day.

In Christianity, pilgrimage is associated with holy sites and saints’ relics. One of the earliest recorded accounts of a pilgrimage is Egeria’s journey from Europe to the Holy Land in the 4^th century. While some particularly significant pilgrimage sites, such as Santiago de Compostela, Fátima or Lourdes, are still going strong, the overall significance of pilgrimage declined over the centuries. However, it is currently being rediscovered. This is certainly the case in this part of the country, with Durham cathedral re-establishing itself as a pilgrimage destination.

While in the church we, understandably, focus on religious pilgrimage, I wonder if it can be a spiritually enriching ritual without necessarily having a ‘religious’ destination. The origins of pilgrimage are unknown, but the concept certainly pre-dates Christianity and is not limited to it. The purpose of any such journey is personal transformation, as well moral or spiritual refreshment. I think any place we travel to that holds power – historic, artistic, religious – has the capacity to enable such refreshment and transformation if we interpret it well and offer our experience to the Lord. It can be healing and restorative, offering peace in places of death and destruction and love in places of broken hearts and troubled lives. So, in anticipation of my journey, I am hoping to find peace in New York and love in Graceland.

I will report whether it works when I’m back from the States!

Ana