On of the five pillars of Islam is the Hajj, or pilgrimage that every faithful Muslim must make to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Well, I am not a Muslim, I am a Christian who belongs to the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. So where do I go for my pilgrimage? The Vatican? Jerusalem? Lourdes?
None of those. I find myself, a guy from the Ohio hills in the middle of flat Indiana. Now I need to say upfront that this trip is not a requirement of my faith. Nor am I visiting any shrine other than perhaps the Bishop’s office. I don’t even get an indulgence.
You see, for us United Brethren, Huntington is the closest thing we have to a shrine. Nothing super spiritual about the place, it is just the HQ for this branch of the universal Army of Christ. I was invited to leave my home in SE Ohio for a few days in Indiana. Flat. This hillbilly has a hard time adjusting. (Where do the kids sled in winter?)
I didn’t come on a pilgrimage for forgiveness. But to me this is kind of a pilgrimage. You see, I am on a search for answers. Not about heaven but about my life before going there. I am on a fact-finding mission. Where am I supposed to be right now? Am I supposed to stay at Eden for the rest of my life or does God have other plans for me? What do I need to do to be in the center of God’s will? Am I being disobedient in my life and ministry? Am I following God’s plans or my own?
I haven’t written for this blog for a long time, but I want to document my “hajj.” Not only for others to read but also that I can reflect and have resolve that God has and is directing me. So join me as I take the plunge into discovering God’s will for my life. I’ll be blogging about the entirety of my pilgrimage to the Holy See of Huntington.
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