Rector reflects on 20 years of Holy Land pilgrimages
For the past twenty years, rector of St Molua’s, Canon David Humphries, has led a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He talks to Helen Poots about these spiritual journeys…
David, what’s the purpose of a pilgrimage to the Holy Land?
Well, there are several levels on which we can look at this, and maybe the first level is to say what we aim to achieve in ten or eleven days out there. Quite simply, we go to see the places and meet the people. Seeing the places is easy to understand – we see the places of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, and particularly places frequented by our Lord, for example; Jerusalem, the Mount of Olives, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, and so on. (Plaques of the Lord’s Prayer at the Church of the Pater Noster).
Meeting the people, takes a little bit of explanation. There have always been pilgrims to the Holy Land. In days gone by there were no hotels, so pilgrims had to stay in the homes of local people – and so they got close to them. Nowadays there are lots of hotels, run very efficiently by caring and courteous staff, but hotels can be a little bit impersonal.
Therefore pilgrims need to seek out local folk – particularly local Christians (now very small in number out there), in order to get to know them, see what they are doing, and encourage them in their work.
Can you give us a specific example of seeking out local people?
Yes, I always take my people to visit an orphanage in a West Bank town – we know it by its Biblical name, Bethany. The orphanage was founded in the 1970s by two local Christians, Basil and Alice Sahhar, and it is a staggering experience to see that in the town where Jesus performed one of his greatest miracles, namely the raising of Lazarus, miracles are still happening today, where Christian and Muslim children are being brought up side–by–side, and are the best of friends. Three hundred children are being educated in the school, and a hundred boys live in the orphanage.
What’s the orphanage like?
The orphanage is a real beacon of light in the area. The boys come from Jerusalem and the towns and villages in the Palestinian territories. Many are orphans who have endured terrible domestic problems, but all have become part of the wonderful family of Jeel al Amal (”generation of hope”) which is the name of the orphanage. And while there is little material wealth, the love and devotion of the staff are reflected in the perfect manners and sunny dispositions of the children. (David is on the far right of the group pictured at the orphanage).
Is a visit to the orphanage enough for your party, or can you do anything to help the children?
Yes, of course we can do more. We find that every year pilgrims are deeply moved by these children, and so during the course of the year we raise money for various things in the orphanage. Over the years we have worked with an organisation called the McCabe Educational Trust to provide thousands of pounds. The people of St Molua’s are included in this venture, as well as the pilgrims, and we have contributed to the building of a new toilet block, a garden, new classrooms, and a music room.
How are people affected by the places they visit.
Well, for many people it is the highlight of their lives: actually seeing and touching the places they have long imagined, feeling the stones of the Western Wall, dipping their hands or their feet in the Sea of Galilee, and walking the Via Dolorosa in the steps of Jesus. These things bring the Bible to life in an amazing way. I can honestly say I’ve never known anyone to come back unaffected or unchallenged. No two people have the same experience of the Holy Land. Some feel the excitement of the City of Jerusalem – the sights of so many people, the majority of them Jewish, but from all over the world, and the tensions and fascinations of places like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – containing the hill of Calvary and the Tomb of the Resurrection; others prefer the calm serenity of the Galilee – the unspoiled beauty of the places where Jesus taught, preached and healed. Each of the pilgrims has their own experience. (Last year’s group at the Golan Heights).
Others begin to realise that the pilgrims they see are from all over the world. You can easily spot people from Russia or the Far East by the way they dress, and Australians and Canadians by the way they talk. And if you are brave enough to say “Hello” to anyone, or to ask the question “Where are you from?” (nearly everybody speaks some English), you will learn a lot about the worldwide Christian Church and how tiny your own Irish Anglicanism is within it!
Who goes to the Holy Land with you? Surely it’s not just the people of St Molua’s?
No, indeed. We’ve been going out there for over twenty years now, and most of the people of St Molua’s who can go have gone – many more than once! The truth is that we pick up pilgrims from all over the place – from every part of Ireland, certainly: Cork, Dublin, Co Cavan, Limavady, Coleraine, Ballymena, Saintfield, Bangor, and of course, Belfast. We’ve also had pilgrims from Scotland and Canada! We are pleased to take anyone who comes, from whatever denomination they happen to be (although most are Church of Ireland). The only thing we stipulate is that they must be reasonably fit.
Why do you keep going back, year after year? What is it that motivates you?
For me, it’s the land. The whole land. It has a strange “magnetism” about it. It is, of course, a spiritual thing, and it keeps pulling me back. So often in the Old Testament God says, sometimes figuratively and sometimes literally, “This is my land.” It is God’s land, and I know that I am so privileged to carry out this ministry of helping others to experience the Holy Land, and I hope I will be able to do it for a long time to come.
The next pilgrimage conducted by Canon David Humphries and the Revd Amanda Adams is in May 2016, and booking is now open. There are 2 information evenings in September and a designated website for these pilgrimages: www.pilgrimage106.com.