‘…that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us,[a] so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’ John 17.21
Together in Travel
The funny thing about pilgrimages is how individuals come together from separate homes and become one holy group. It usually takes about 24 hours. There is a practical part of course, when we all meet at the airport, have our names checked and start chatting. Then, of course, there’s the five hour flight. But holy coming together only begins through prayer the next morning on the pilgrimage bus. Our first prayer on our first morning is always Psalm 122:
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
‘May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers.’
That is why we are all there.
The 2020 Diocese of Southwark Ecumenical Pilgrimage to the Holy Land was my fifth Diocesan Holy Land pilgrimage. I first went in 2013, and was quite simply blown away. When the chance comes to go again, I have always signed up straight away, saving and saving to be able to afford it. Some people ask why do I keep going back, and for some it is a once in a lifetime trip, which is fantastic. But for me, the Holy Land is a place to be rediscovered as my faith changes and grows. And the most crucial part of that process of rediscovery is doing it together with others who are also rediscovering their faith. Our individual spiritual journeys are supported and deepened through our collective physical and spiritual journey.
And the 2020 pilgrimage was always going to be extra special for my own faith journey because it was travelling together with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters from the Archdiocese of Southwark. In 2010 my brother married a devout Roman Catholic and I am godmother to my Roman Catholic nephew and niece. As a family, we are exploring seriously what it means to be a mixed family where both traditions are honoured and differences explored honestly and in love. So the 2020 Ecumenical Pilgrimage was an opportunity to do this in a new way.
So how can different individuals from different traditions come together in a real way so that faith can be rediscovered? Back to the bus – and the bishops!
Very careful advance planning by the bishops and deans meant that there were two pilgrimage buses and seats were assigned on both buses for Anglicans and Roman Catholics. We pilgrims agreed to stay on our respective buses all week, with the same dean, and the bishops assiduously spent one day on one bus, then swapped the next day. This was complete genius and worked so well that within a day, the polite chat between Roman Catholics and Anglicans completed disappeared and was replaced with ‘bus buddies’ and friendly banter on which was the best bus: green or red. (Green, obviously.) We were deliberately put together, we committed to stay together, and the Holy Spirit took over and soon we loved being together in our new friendships.
Together in Faith
The first two full days are spent exploring Jerusalem together, walking down the Mount of Olives with the iconic view of the city, down through the garden of Gethsamane to Pilate’s house, then on to the birth place of John the Baptist and the site of Emmaus. It is extraordinarily beautiful and completely overwhelming, not just seeing everything, but praying, crying and laughing with new friends and of course with Our Lord. Most overwhelming of all is walking with fellow pilgrims, taking turns to carry a large wooden cross together, along the Via Dolorosa, praying the Stations of the Cross and finishing in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. If you ever have the chance to do this, I hope you do. Nothing is more profound within all our faith journeys, whatever our traditions, than Jesus’ journey to the Cross for our salvation.
Together in Hope
There are signs of Resurrection and hope on every pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and for me that must include the spring flowers that are everywhere, even in the Judean desert. The first week in March is Lent, and cold in London. But in the Holy Land the bougainvillea is full bloom, and if you are lucky the weather can hit 20*C. Here’s hoping!
In 2020, one huge sign of hope came out of a strange and tragic situation. On the 2020 Ecumenical pilgrimage in early March we were chased around by the spectre of the forthcoming pandemic. One huge disappointment was that the authorities closed the West Bank to tourists overnight, so our visit to Bethlehem and the Shepherd’s Fields was abruptly cancelled. Instead we were invited to visit the Comboni Sisters, a community of Roman Catholic sisters whose convent is literally on the Separation Wall. They live in Israel, but through careful relationship-building and permissions, they are able to make trips into Palestine to help the most vulnerable children who live metres away on the other side of the wall. Travelling with others and exploring differences was made all the more real, and humbling, by the sisters’ ministry. Separation, religious difference and pain is all around people in the Holy Land, and facing that in small way in a mixed Christian group was a profoundly moving experience.
Together in Love
But what about Holy Communion, you ask? Isn’t that the greatest sign of our separation as Roman Catholics and Anglicans? How did you manage? Through careful planning by our bishops. We celebrated a Eucharist together every day, alternating between the Roman and Anglican rites, with a bishop presiding, and the other or a dean preaching. Each pilgrim received communion in their own tradition, and a blessing in the other. We all committed to honouring this, praying and being blessed together as much as we could while being honest about the separation. And again, it worked brilliantly. A spiritual communion was formed across the whole group precisely because of this together but separate state in our journey together. And little did we know how much we would need this new-found understanding of spiritual-communion-in-separation when we returned home to lockdown and locked churches.
Together in Baptism
The one dominical sacrament that we could share was baptism, and a special day was spent at Caesarea Philippi, the source of the River Jordan, where we together renewed our baptismal vows, the source of our faith. Water dominates the second half of the Ecumenical pilgrimage, staying by, sailing on and even swimming (so cold!) in the Sea of Galilee. One of our joint Eucharists is at Mensa Christi, where Jesus declared Peter to be the rock on which the Church is built, overlooking the lake.
And in 2023, we will have a whole new shared connection with the Diocese of Jerusalem in Jerusalem itself and Nazareth.
Together in Returning
In March 2020 we returned to London, one of the last flights out of Israel, not knowing what to expect of the pandemic, and two weeks later into full lockdown. My greater understanding of spiritual communion within separation certainly helped me in difficult times. And my eight year old niece now delights in doing ‘swapsies’ with me in our mutual church visits.
And the greatest hope of all was knowing that one day we would return to the Holy Land together as Anglican and Roman Catholics, by the grace of God. That day is Monday 27 February 2023. There’s still time to sign up. I very much hope to see you there.
Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8.39)
To find out more about the 2023 Pilgrimage visit southwark.anglican.org/news-events/events/whats-on/pilgrimage-to-the-holy-land-2023.