Thought for the Week

St Martin's is a two pilgrimage a year church.  Over the late May Bank Holiday weekend for 20 years a large number of us walk to Canterbury.  This weekend a small group are cycling from Lincoln to London, following the route of the Queen Eleanor crosses.  Eleanor of Castile was the wife of Edward I.  She died at Harby near Lincoln in 1290 and her body was brought to London for burial in Westminster Abbey.  At each of the eleven resting places where her funeral procession stopped overnight, and in Cheapside in the City of London, her husband built a cross in memory of his beloved wife.  All but three of the originals were destroyed in the Civil War.  Her last resting place before the Abbey was at Charing Cross, where outside the station the Victorian replica of what originally stood at the top of Whitehall is newly restored.

Pilgrimages have become very popular.  Whether on foot or by bike we travel more slowly than we are used to in our urban mechanised life.  Yet it is surprising how far we can go by our own effort in a long weekend, walking 75 miles to Canterbury or cycling 210 miles for Eleanor.  Because our pilgrimages are organised in support of The Connection and raise money for our work with homeless people, they are unusually inclusive events.  They build a sense of community like nothing else I know, the people making the journey experiencing what it is to give and receive hospitality along the way.

Both St Martin's pilgrimages were the idea of Kath Shaljean, who died just under a year ago.  So for some of those involved who knew and loved Kath it is more than Queen Eleanor being remembered on the journey, but each pilgrim will have his or her own memories on the reflective journey.  They will also have their hopes.  Our eldest son, David, has helped plan the Eleanor pilgrimage and we as a family have our particular hopes for him and his Eleanor this week as they set out on the journey of married life next Saturday.  As the African proverb says:
    If you want to travel fast, travel alone.
    If you want travel far, travel together.