A PILGRIMAGE OF PROMISE
MIGRATION
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, They make it a spring; The rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. – Psalm 84:5-7
What is known today about creature migration goes far beyond birds flying south for winter (which, by the way, is not always the case). The study of creatures in migration—their impetus, in many instances their preparations, their navigations, destinations, and also their repetitions—astonishes me and stirs my emotion more than any other phenomenon in nature. This essay explores a few components of this magnificence. I shall not do the subject justice, either migration’s salient principles, or those of pilgrimage, its human rendering. Yet I am compelled to write, so please consider this piece just one stretch of a literary migration.
Firstly, what is the impetus to begin a migration? Many think it is discomfort or dissatisfaction, such as hunger or cold. Yet many migrations begin well-fed and under excellent living conditions. Atlantic Salmon feed and grow two-three years in fresh water, then two-three years in the ocean, before initiating their major upstream migration to spawn. Likewise, loons spend up to three years on the oceans before returning to northern lakes to nest. Sea turtles will leave behind a tranquil island lagoon and navigate over a thousand miles of open ocean to breed on other shores. When caribou herds begin movement toward summer range, they abandon coastal regions that would suffice for permanent range, forgoing an abundance of forage. The drive, then, is not so much away from, but toward. One hundred million monarch butterflies exemplify this wonderfully (several generations removed from their northward-flying ancestors of that year), as their major migratory expedition starts from Canada and the northern U.S., converging en masse on the pine-covered mountains of Michoacan, Mexico, over 2000 miles away. Whether learned or by instinct, migratory creatures seem to know a destiny and destination greater than themselves as a population, and most certainly greater than themselves as individuals.
As humans, our migrations, when we make them, are more willful and conscious. We call these pilgrimages. Muslims, of course have Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. It involves the wearing of certain garments at certain locations along the annual journey, circumambulation (movement around a holy object) of the Ka’bah (Station of Abraham), the kissing of the Black Stone, prayer, running between two locations, listening to an exposition on a certain date, an overnight stay in the valley of Mina near Mecca, the sacrifice of an animal, and the casting of stones at three pillars. Despite this complexity, around two million persons follow through with this each year. Several thousand Buddhists and Hindus, on the other hand, subject themselves to the parikrama, a 32-mile circumambulation of Mount Kailash’s rocky circumference, in the remote western Tibetan plateau. Remarkably, those thousands are a limited number of pilgrims, as Chinese government only allows for 500 Indian nationals annually. The most devout Tibetan Buddhists will perform full-length prostrations, extending the duration of the course to several weeks. Many other mountain pilgrimages define the experiences of Hindus, Buddhists, and Taoists throughout Asia.
Other pilgrimages include rivers deemed sacred, burial sites, birthplaces, or other historical shrines. Ironically, even Lenin’s Mausoleum in Red Square, Moscow has become a sort of religious pilgrimage for Communist atheists. Judaism had its requisite pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem until its destruction in 70 A.D. Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land has provided great significance and context for many Christians since the 4th century, according to records, and likely prior. I will note, though, that Christian pilgrimage is typically free of the 
moral atonement purging, ritualistic requirements, and religiosity characteristic of others. And not to be left out, non-traditional religious systems such as the New Age movement have their own places of “convergence”—centers of supposed energy in certain cities or upon certain mountains. On a related note, I predict a major surge of pilgrimage to the land of the ancient Maya in 2012 (the Mayan calendar marks the end of the current world cycle, whatever that might mean, as December 21 of that year).
God “has set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV); this is the ideal motivation and trigger for pilgrimage. Yet many set out due to discomfort or dissatisfaction, which may explain why many also assume that creatures are driven likewise. Keith Green penned the lyrics “you can run to the end of the highway and not find what you’re looking for—to find yourself you’ve got to start right here.” That humans will be sojourners is no surprise: this world, in its fallen state, is not truly our home. But our journeys—both literal and figurative—must begin well-fed. We must be reconciled to God and be pilgrims of contentedness; we do not journey to atone or even to discover, but to confidently possess the land that is ours in Christ. Penultimate adventure, not penance, is ours. The high places and faraway lands to which we go (and ultimately God’s heaven) are truly destinations, not disillusionments.
Along our journeys, away from the distant memory of well-fed beginnings, we often falter. Yet as Psalm 84 (above) declares, we go from “strength to strength” even when passing through the Valley of Baca (literally, “weeping”). Proverbs 4:18 reminds us that “the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” Understanding this well, Jacob referred to his life itself as a pilgrimage (Genesis 47:9).
Knowing that we journey both with and toward the Lord, we may find, as with the instinctively-driven migration of a simple butterfly, that we are well-navigated. We know where to travel, and when to rest: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:2-3).
Unfortunately, the fact that humans seem to share the migration drive does not guarantee a right purpose or a meaningful journey. Animals are governed by instinct, either directly (as among creatures that never knew their parents), or indirectly (through learned migration routes and behaviors). Humans possess free will, and can stubbornly remain complacent, or journey outside of the Lord’s migration corridors: “Even the stork in the heavens Knows her appointed times; And the turtledove, the swift, and the swallow Observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the judgment [ordinances, manners, ways] of the LORD” (Jeremiah 8:7, brackets mine). We should be humbled by the purposeful precision and endurance of all migratory creatures. I desire to move with strength and purpose toward the final resting place, the lush pastures that await, the very Presence of God. I want mine to be a journey commensurate with its Destination. Jesus is the way (John 14:6) of the Christian pilgrim.
All Scriptures NKJV unless otherwise noted.
May essay posted…
While showing a “Nature” video production to my environmental science class, and then again a film on monarch butterfuly migration, I was reminded that these types of documentaries really move me emotionally. Sure, I’m amazed by the intricacy of migration itself, but I’m always left with sense of emotional connection to the impetus that drives these migrations. It may sound a bit flaky, but I really cheer on these creatures: Get to the water, desert elephant! Go the distance, butterfly; the distant pines await your arrival! Drive on, salmon, your destiny awaits! I just love an epic journey, and though it’s cliche’, I think this month’s post visits the importance of recognizing that the joy is indeed in the journey. We are all pilgrims, and when we know our Destination, it really defines a marvelous pilgrimage. I don’t do the scientific aspects of migration any justice in this post, but I had to at least explore the connections a bit. Enjoy!