Pilgrimage

Some of my best conversations have taken place when walking. Whether with friends or strangers the walking somehow oils the process of meeting others. And even more so when there is a common

St Chad's Church Tower

purpose, the same destination, the shared goal, as in a pilgrimage.

My vicar friend Andy blogs about pilgrim walking. It becomes for him a way of looking at the world.An excerpt from his blog: "There is also something about walking, thinking and reflecting at the same time.  Is there a connection to tacit knowledge where you learn by doing things with your hands?  Perhaps a variant of it?  Certainly it was good to reflect back on the last year which has been hard and good........."

I have been helping plan a pilgrimage for Saturday 14th February. We are working with the 3 Faiths Forum and local Churches and Mosques to organise a walk from Rochdale Parish Church, St Chad's to the Golden Mosque and then to St Edmund's, both in Falinge. In the spirit of the Three Faiths Forum, which is a partner, we hope some of our Jewish brothers and sisters will be able attend.* Along the way we will hear a bit about the places of worship we are visiting, and when we arrive at St Edmund's there will be food and refreshments, and some short talks on the theme of Pilgrimage in the different faith traditions.

A still image from the film Still Point

And there will be a film, Still Point, which has been produced to get us to think about sacred spaces and places of pilgrimage. I am looking forward to the conversations we will have, and to what we will learn about the Creator of all from each of our traditions. The walking will open our eyes and hearts.

* A bit about the Three Faiths Forum: They describe themselves as building understanding and lasting relationships between people of all faiths and beliefs. And to the question "Why is this work needed?" they reply: "In our diverse societies good relations between our communities are essential. Without these ties, myths and prejudices flourish, often leading to racism and intolerance. Our programmes break down barriers and find ways for people to work together to improve their communities and society. By building new inter-communal relationships we make positive social change possible."