Coddiwomple.
Part 1 of 3, a series on Pilgrimage.
The life of faith isn't meant for tourists. It's meant for pilgrims. ~ Eugene Peterson
Kellie and I returned recently from a trip to the Isle of Iona off the northwest coast of Scotland. We boarded with 30 other pilgrims and 30 more staff in the gorgeous stone abbey built by the Benedictines in the thirteenth century and expanded substantially in the fifteenth century. (Photo above)
This is a series on pilgrimage, but what does it mean to be a pilgrim? What’s the difference between a pilgrim and a tourist? And do you have to travel across an ocean to be one? That’s what I want to explore in the next few posts together.
I’m guessing that you’ve never heard the word “coddiwomple” before, so let me introduce this little gem. From the old English it means to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination, and I find that vision compelling. It reminds me of another pilgrim: “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Is there something inherently spiritual about this? Quite possibly. For certain, there is an intrinsic open-heartedness, humility, and trust expressed by all who coddiwomple.
Long before the stone abbey you see here was built, the Iona community was started by a pilgrim named Saint Columba who sailed from Ireland in 563. There are various accounts of the circumstances surrounding his leaving, but we know that he set out with twelve companions to carry Celtic Christianity to new lands, and that they landed their currach on “Columba’s beach,” a couple miles from where they build a timber-frame abbey, now long gone. But the stone abbey sits on the same site.
Columba’s boat, a currach, is a perfect emblem to represent the pilgrim spirit. Also known as a coracle (such as the one Reepicheep used in Voyage of the Dawn Treader), a currach is made of animal skins stretched across wooden boughs. It may be circular or have a bow; it can even have a sail, but it has no rudder so navigation lends itself to “vague destinations.” To head into the open sea in a craft like this is a supreme act of faith.
Can you and I carry a pilgrim spirit in our daily lives? Absolutely. And while that might look a little different for each of us, I’m reaching for the big three I mentioned earlier:
Open-hearted. Less attached to the destination. More willing, less willful.
Humble. Not so certain that I know what I need or even want. More ready to ask for help.
Trusting. Looking for the unexpected opportunities embedded in every failure or plan-gone-awry.
Tourists set their course and agenda; pilgrims simply launch the boat and expect to be led. Tourists stay in control; pilgrims abandon control. Tourists are committed to a destination; pilgrims are committed to the journey itself. So how will you enter into your life today?
growing the soul
Pause. Breathe. And then hold this simple, powerful question: Where am I being called to be a pilgrim in my life… and what’s the next practical step in that direction?
serving the world
Another thing about pilgrims: When you’re less attached to your agenda, your destination, and your timetable, you’re more available to respond to the genuine needs of those around you. Try it and see.
takeaway
Wander more.