“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” – Anais Nin
There is something about the physical and emotional demands of travel that breaks down barriers and encourages people to form alliances.
At the airport in Atlanta, with anticipation the World Pilgrims began to gather. As we account for everyone, we all join together for a few instructions and we say the Traveler's Prayer from the Jewish Tradition:
May it be Your will, Eternal One, our God and the God of our ancestors,
that You lead us toward peace, place our footsteps towards peace,
guide us toward peace, and make us reach our desired destination for life, gladness, and peace. May You rescue us from the hand of every foe, ambush, bandits and wild animals along the way, and from all manner of punishments that assemble to come to Earth. May You send blessing in our every handiwork, and grant us peace, kindness, and mercy in your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us. May You hear the sound of our supplication, because You are the God who hears prayer and supplications. Blessed are You, Eternal One, who hears prayer.
The bandits and the wild animals bring a smile to people's faces. With this blessing, more connective tissue is binding us together.
I find the repetition of shalom in the prayer comforting and surprising. It is not just that our journey be a peaceful one, but that the very purpose of our travel be for peace.
International travel is long, it takes a toll. Peace is not a necessarily obvious description even when things go smoothly. There are many things we must internally contend with like our practice of patience, the taming of our personal will with that of those around us. Traveling is vulnerable. We are at the hands of forces we cannot control and sometimes at the whim of others. It can be trying, but when the goal is peace it can reframe the entire experience.
Let our experience be for the sake of peace.
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