Tourist or Pilgrim?

Hennie Symington

It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God. For Abraham was waiting for the city which God has designed and built, the city with permanent foundations. Hebrews. 11:8-10

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going; so how can we know the way to get there?”

Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one goes to the Father except by me. Now that you have known me,” he said to them, “you will know my Father also, and from now on you do know him and you have seen him.” John. 14:5-7

Faith a pilgrimage

For many believers, faith is like a tourist paradise where you visit only the highlights and skip the rest. A more meaningful path would be to travel as a pilgrim on the route set out by God. In following this path we, like Abraham, follow a voice into the wilderness.

Gallery of pilgrims

In Hebrews 11 the Apostle Peter shows us a whole gallery of pilgrims who took the “road less travelled” and discovered a hidden kingdom off the beaten track. The apostle describes these pilgrims as strangers to this world. Like us, they are immigrants with temporary resident permits in a foreign country. We don’t really belong here and don’t really fit in with the times we live in. He calls us citizens of an “another country” with “another king”. In the words of Paul, we are the ambassadors representing that far off kingdom who exchange daily communiqués with our homeland.

The only danger is that we become so attached to our adopted homeland, that we forget where we come from and where we are going to, and before we know it, we’ve become naturalised citizens of a country which isn’t really ours. By keeping our compass steadily on course and our telescopes fixed on our destination, we will find our way there where our King is keeping a look out for us.

Prayer for today:

Dear Lord, it’s so easy to become entrenched in a lifestyle that is foreign to your kingdom. It’s so tempting to go with the flow. Guide me along your itinerary so that I will not lose my way. Amen