Sabbath Devotional :: Journeys

Photo taken by the author at the Philadelphia Temple grounds.

I have been thinking a lot about journeys — both in a literal, physical sense as well as figurative sense, and including the many iterations and types of journeys that occur in the scriptures and Church history. Last week I departed from Utah as I made a cross-country move to Philadelphia. My driving route criss-crossed several of the historic routes taken by 19th Century settlers heading west, although my direction was the opposite. At my particular life juncture, my cross-country move is accompanied by assorted other major life changes and I am feeling somewhat emotionally and mentally taxed while navigating them. I have again and again been thinking back to some of these well-known stories of journeys and wandering for comfort and reassurance.

One of my audiobook listens during my cross-country drive was the British nature-writing classic “The Peregrine” by J.A. Baker, which recounts Baker’s observations of several peregrine falcons in the Essex countryside in mid-20th Century England. I have always loved the name of these birds, which derives from Latin origins, meaning “pilgrim.” The journeys taken by these birds primarily pertain to their hunting, with instinct informing their flight patterns and habits as they pursue prey through different landscapes of forest and field. It reminded me that many of the journeys we take in our lives are predicated by our innate nature, our human predilection toward curiosity, exploration, and discovery. Our Heavenly Parents created us in their image and imparted to us their divine nature, and with it an infinite capacity for learning and gratitude and creation, among many other qualities. Some of these same qualities motivated my current life decisions and trajectory and it is comforting to remind myself of that impetus for change in the midst of the difficulty of those changes.

Hebrews 11 is one of my favorite chapters of scripture with its accounting of faith in its many forms. Verse 13 reads, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” Eliza R. Snow’s beautiful words in the hymn “O My Father” likewise echo this sentiment: “For a wise and glorious purpose / Thou hast placed me here on earth / And withheld the recollection / Of my former friends and birth; / Yet ofttimes a secret something / Whispered, “You’re a stranger here,” / And I felt that I had wandered / From a more exalted sphere.” Both of these verses resonate with my current mid-journey out-of-sorts feelings. They remind me that, at times, I will feel out of place, and that it is a normal part of the human experience — we came from and are destined for holier spheres beyond our current sphere of existence. These verses hint at those pangs we may feel as part of our mortality and human existence.

The Savior’s life included many journeys as well. Some of his journeys were in pursuit of the spiritual, such as his 40 days fasting in the desert, or his ascending into the mountains. Some of his journeys were of physical necessity, such as his parents’ flight to Egypt when he was still an infant. Other journeys included various parts of his ministry and his calling of his disciples. His loneliest journey was to the garden of Gethsemane. His Atoning sacrifice means that he has tread where we have and that we may turn to him for comfort and strength during our trying times as well as in gratitude when our road feels straight and sure. There is so much more to this topic of journeys and these brief thoughts have only scratched the surface, but I hope each of us can find stories and experiences that offer us reassurance and comfort in our individual circumstances and that we might bear one another up upon this shared journey of life. Happy Sabbath!