Morningstar Pilgrimage as a Liminoid Phenomenon

[Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture]

Turner and Turner state "Yet there is undoubtedly an initiatory quality in pilgrimage. A pilgrim is an initiand, entering into a new, deeper level of existence than he has known in his accustomed milieu" (pg. 8). Perhaps Turner and Turner are referencing to the new growth that is created through embarking on a pilgrimage. Thus, the seeker (pilgrim) engages in a sort of initiation, in which they are confronted by the sublime and are offered the opportunity for the divine to fully infiltrate their being. As the pilgrim goes along through the sacred journey, he is being awaken to a new, or "deeper," level of existence- a life living with God.

Further down in the paragraph, Turner and Turner state "What is secret in the Christian pilgrimage, then, is the inward movement of the heart" (pg.8). It is fair to connect the idea that in faith, we must be uncomfortable to grow. If we are stagnant where we are, God has no use to grow in our hearts because there is no sense of emptying (or pouring out His truth to others), to be refilled again by Him. Through christian pilgrimage we participate in a "movement of the heart" through the immense discomfort we feel. This discomfort can come from the healing that is taking place in our hearts, the ache in our bodies from the prolonged extraneous exercise, the doubt and fears that run through our mind, etc. God moves in our hearts when we are challenged and offer ourselves to Him fully through the sacred journey.

Source: Turner, V., Turner, E., 1978. Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture. Columbia University Press, NY, p.8.

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