“Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who are pilgrims with hearts on a journey to you.” Psalm 84: 5
When I was preparing to do the Virginia AT, I was drawn to the unique way this verse was translated by Sons of Korah on their album “Rain.” I listened to this recording over and over. This verse is even more helpful to me now in the ordinary times of my life than it ever was on the trail. The two walking sabbaticals were faith pilgrimages for me, but, of course, pilgrimage is also a metaphor, and perhaps an overused one at that, of our daily lives in all our ordinary times. We are all on a journey to God. While I remember well the weariness of not wanting to go one step further but having no choice, there are now plenty of times I feel like I simply do not have the wherewithal to follow the loving path before me instead of wandering off into my own path of self-justifying doldrums. This verse reminds me that my strength to take that step towards love comes from God, not me. This verse also reminds me that I shouldn’t get too comfortable, that we are always pilgrims on the move, that situations are always changing and at any moment we may be called to take a different path…still a loving one, of course. This verse reminds me that it is my spiritual heart and center—not my own ego and self-interests, not my rationalizations and intellectual problem solving—where I best listen and respond to God in faith. And finally the direction, the point of it all, is a life journey towards God. Does it sound like I’ve said this before? I know that I am repeating myself both within this post and in many posts before. I am a slow learner. I must keep reminding myself to my chagrin. The spiritual heart’s journey is not a straight line, but more like like a spiral. I keep coming back to the same lessons of faith to learn, but from different perspectives each time. So this verse (in different forms) keeps showing up….and I guess you keep listening in to the repetitions.
Suggestions:
1. Take this verse with you and ponder its meaning for you throughout the day. What do you notice? What do you wonder? What lesson must you keep relearning?
2. Or read all of Psalm 84 to discover how this verse fits into this psalm.
3. Or comment with a photo of your own that is a window of this verse’s meaning for you.
Tomorrow’s psalm will be Psalm 85:10.
Starting January 1, 2016, for 150 days I am posting a daily psalm verse with a photo that is a visual meditation on the text for me. Each day a verse from the next psalm is chosen until all 150 psalms have been featured. To participate you may subscribe to my blog at https://elainedent.net or “friend” me on Facebook and watch for the daily links to blog posts. Disclaimer: I am not a photographer and most of the photos are from a cell phone or small camera while hiking the Appalachian Trail or the C&O Canal/Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
Kelvin Wright says
The albergue in Granon is built into the roof of a church. After a shared meal pilgrims walk through a door and into the medieval choir. A candle is passed from person to person and the candle holder prays. God is honoured in half a dozen languages.
Elaine Dent says
Pilgrims: walking on the same trail/Camino, shared prayer, different journeys to God. Yes. Reminds me: AT hiking buddy and I prayed the “walking prayer” together each day starting out, as well as psalms throughout the day—same trail, shared prayer. On the last day we talked about what we had learned over the two months—very different journeys.
holly simons says
His blessing or me on arising this AM was the discovery of Sons of Korah beginning with Psalm 84. Thank you, Elaine. Riches raining down…..be as redundant as you like. We are all “spiraling” pilgrims, journeying alone, journeying together. A candle is lit, the stark silhouette out my large picture window of barren tress, arms uplifted, waiting for the bedecking of spring greenery gives me contemplative pause…. All praise to Yahweh.
Judith Plotner says
🙂