“Ooohh,” a friend cooed when she learned of my plans, “you’re going on a pilgrimage!” And my heart swelled within me at the thought. I must say I rather fancied the notion of myself as a musical pilgrim with dusty battered leather sandals, flowing robes and a sturdy walking stick. I’d stride down an open road with birds singing in the trees. With luck there’d be a glow of radiance from my person, or at least on the horizon in front of me. I’d be walking forward with joy and purpose, confident of my destination.
Oh yeah, I quite fancied myself as a pilgrim! And then I got to the Taize community in Burgundy. Where I was very disappointed. I had been drawn there by their music, planning to sing Alleluias and Magnificats each day until I was hoarse.
I had first learned of Taize when I was staying at the Findhorn Community in northern Scotland in 1998. I became so enamored of the beautiful Taize music that I bought every CD and songbook they had produced. The Taize Brothers, an ecumenical Christian community, derive a large portion of their income from sales of their music the way other religious orders derive income from sales of candy, brandy -- or communion wafers. To be honest, I have ‘appropriated’ some of their music for Singing Meditation sessions. Our very own UU hymnals have appropriated some Taize songs as well: including Nada Te Turbe, Ubi Caritas, among others.
I find the Taize music so satisfying aesthetically that I hoped to enhance the experience by immersing myself in its place of origin. At a minimum I hoped to heighten my spiritual enjoyment of the music by being there in person – and if I were honest I would have to admit that I was also hoping to see if I could steal a little of their “charisma” whether by ritual, method of teaching, intonation – or any other little idiosyncrasy that might be revealed in context – and bring it back home to Eau Claire. A modern-day music Prometheus if you will.
But the reality was that the Taize brothers define their mission as Bible study and prayer. Although the songs are sung as part of the thrice-daily church services they do not float on the air during the rest of the day.
Instead of the glorious week of music I had assumed would be mine once I flew across the ocean, took the train to Dijon and then rented a car, I left after two days.
So there we were in France and after Taize we sought out other sites of religious significance: splendid Cathedrals in Paris, the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas in La Boulaye, the ruins of the Roman temple to Janus in a cow pasture near the village of Autun.
Tipped off by a Franciscan nun about daily singing at the Basilica of Mary Magdalene we added a visit to this UNESCO World Heritage site in Vezelay. The architects of this basilica used every strategy at their disposal to enhance the effects of natural light and proportion – the result for me was a sense of awe and recognition that the place was indeed what I would call “sacred space.” When the monks and nuns filed in, wearing simple white tunics, and sang their mass in blissful polyphony -- I was enthralled.
I bought their CD of course. I would have bought more than one, but one was all they had.
We went to the Abbey of St. Peter in Solesmes to hear the cloistered monks there sing Gregorian chants. This monastery is credited with preserving, in the early 19th century, the remnants of Gregorian chants that could still be found. They still sing these Gregorian chants, in Latin, five times daily. I purchased two CDs in their gift shop.
We also ferreted out the Saint Hilaire-Saint Jean Damascene Orthodox Center in UCHON . This diminutive chapel is deep in the forest of the Morvan Regional Park. It was so tiny and unassuming that we drove past it twice before it registered as our destination. But when the nun opened the doors to a modest chapel that would seat 20 people at most – we were dazzled by the icons decorating the walls with rich indigos and generous use of gold. I confess I purchased two more CDs there --- as well as a small icon.
But why did I have a niggling fear that I was the New Age equivalent of an “Ugly American” tourist oogling another person’s cherished rituals and sacred music?
Probably because I am a Unitarian Universalist. As Unitarian Universalists we say we affirm and promote our Seven Principles. We recognize Six Sources of heritage. For the most part, the Sources and Principles co-exist peacefully, coherently, creating a broad and flexible net of guidance to unite our creedless congregations.
Our FOURTH principle grants us the right to be a Seeker and I quote “A free and responsible search for Truth and Meaning.” And our Six Sources give us a universe of choices for that search – “We draw from many sources . . .” including “wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life.”
As UUs we can point to a large body of sacred music, poetry, and readings in our hymnal alone that originated in cultures that by no stretch of the imagination could be called home-grown Unitarian Universalist, or found in our deep Christian tap root.
There has been some debate in the past few years concerning the Sources, specifically whether, or under what circumstances, it is appropriate for us to use songs, rituals, or faith objects from spiritual and cultural traditions that are not our own.
In a Nutshell: The term appropriation can be used to signify borrowing or using practices from other cultures or traditions. Appropriation is not necessarily inappropriate. Done in a respectful manner, the practice can enhance the spiritual nature of worship and programs. However, appropriation’s evil twin, misappropriation, results when the practices of a particular culture are misused or misinterpreted. Even when this is done inadvertently, it can evoke pain or discomfort in others.
When we experience something new and memorable, whether it’s visiting an exotic location or attending a theatrical performance, we often want some souvenir to validate the experience. A CD of an original cast recording or a tee-shirt from the Grand Canyon not only revives a pleasant memory for us, it allows us to share that experience with others. It may also allow us to increase our esteem with others, serving as proof of our “coolness.”
We may enjoy or be moved by a ceremony or performance, even if we lack a complete understanding of the ethnic culture that created the event. But if we decide to re-create the experience in order to suit our own beliefs or tastes, or to exploit it merely to entertain ourselves – well, that’s misappropriation.
I sought to reassure myself that it was ‘okay’ for us to drop in and visit all these places even though I don’t profess to be a Christian. Weren’t they written up in guidebooks? Didn’t the ubiquitous presence of their gift shops indicate an expectation there would be tourists? Signs were posted in several languages, post cards were for sale, hours were posted for visitors, -- didn’t all this imply we weren’t trespassing against them?
I reminded myself that spiritual pilgrimages had been going on in France for centuries – Vezelay itself was a ‘must see’ destination for the Crusaders. Pilgrimages to the basilica to venerate the relics of St. Mary Magdalene began in the early 11th century and it became a starting place for other pilgrimages as well. St. Bernard preached the Second Crusade there in 1146. Richard the Lionheart worshipped in the basilica before he led the Third Crusade to Jerusalem. Entire generations of townspeople had supported themselves from the tourist trade. I was persuaded that if I were an ‘Ugly Tourist’ at least I was a welcome one!
II. The conflict
The UU debates about misappropriation turn on who has a right to use the rituals and symbols of a religion or culture. Some claim it is necessary to have a specific connection (some go so far as to say a ‘genetic’ connection) to a specific practice in order to use that practice. They assert if you are not a member of the faith community where the ritual object or practice originated, you have no right to those practices or even spiritual perspectives.
Examples cited in the UU debates have included the sloppy use of Native American words and rituals in worship -- and singing songs of the Civil Rights struggle or black South Africans without proper context. Some even say that UU's misappropriate the Christian eucharist when they do communions such as "chocolate or apple communions." Singing songs or purchasing ritual objects from a tradition not your own puts you at risk of insulting and disrespecting those of the originating culture through commercialization and trivialization.
This issue is of particular interest to me because Singing Meditation, which I facilitate in Eau Claire and elsewhere -- is built upon the melding of songs from a large spectrum of spiritual perspectives. And to be honest, every CD I purchased in France was for the purpose of evaluating its songs for inclusion in Singing Meditation. – NOT for the purpose of worshipping God in the way the singers, producers and composers intended.
I began analyzing of the act of visiting religious sites through the prism of being a 21st century Unitarian Universalist. How do I create a healthy balance between my own quest for spiritual fulfillment and respect for the privacy and the rights of those in other cultures – whether those people are in the Methodist Church across town, an ashram in the next state, or a picturesque hamlet in France?
I was shaken by the idea that I might be somehow wrong to be out there shopping for religious “souvenirs” on my trip. As I placed my new Christian CDs from Vezelay, Solesmes, and Uchon into my suitcase to return home, I also packed some angst. Had I truly been a Pilgrim on a musical pilgrimage? Or just a crude, rude Tourist touring through France as though it were a spiritual scavenger hunt?
III. Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage has a long and honorable pedigree. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the seminal work about pilgrimage, The Canterbury Tales, between 1387 and 1400. It is the story of a group of thirty people who travel as pilgrims from London to Canterbury Cathedral. You heard its Prolog this morning.
But Pilgrimages did not fade out long ago and far away. They are still a popular thing to do. Well over 100,000 pilgrims annually walk the entire Camino de Santiago, which is about 500 miles long. This road spans northern Spain from the Pyrenees on the French border to Santiago de Compostela on the Atlantic Ocean. Pilgrims started using this route in approximately 900 AD.
Then, in 1122 Pope Calixtus II added another incentive for pilgrimages on the Camino de Santiago. If you visited the shrine of St. James in any year when the saint’s day fell on a Sunday, AND -- if you also 1) gave a donation to the cathedral, 2) attended mass, 3) went to confession and 4) performed good works. --- If the pilgrim did all these things he received a plenary indulgence which means a FULL PARDON for any time that would have been spent in purgatory. WOW!
Christians are not the only ones who make Pilgrimages in the 21st century. A pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
The pilgrimage, called a Hajj - is an obligation for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Mekkah each year from every corner of the globe. The annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year.
The Purpose of hajj is to develop God consciousness and a sense of spiritual upliftment. It is also believed to be an opportunity to seek forgiveness of sins accumulated thoughout life. The Prophet Muhammad had said that a person who performs Hajj properly "will return as a newly born baby [free of all sins]."
Buddhists Make Pilgrimages. Pilgrimage is first mentioned in the Pali Tipitaka where the Buddha says that one should try to visit at least once in Lumbini (the place of Buddha’s birth). He says that if such a pilgrimage is undertaken with a 'devout heart' it will be very beneficial to one's spiritual growth.
Hindus are not required to make pilgrimages, but many do. In 2001 an estimated 80 million people visited the Kumbha-mela holy site in India. Reasons a Hindu might make a Pilgrimage include:
- To fix the mind on God and to glorify Him
- For spiritual development and to gain spiritual merit
- For purification and atonement of sins
- For self-reflection and contemplation
- For an uplifting and memorable experience (spiritual inspiration)
Given that the power of a pilgrimage is so great, I thought it could also deliver my trip from the jaws of misappropriation!
Let’s see how Merriam-Webster defines a pilgrim:
1: one who journeys in foreign lands :A wayfarer – and I wanted to use this first definition to let myself off the hook, but come on – with a definition this broad even a U.S. baseball player in an exhibition game in Japan would qualify as a pilgrim – as would a fashionista on a buying spree in Milan. No, I found I couldn’t accept this first definition for a bona fide pilgrim. The second definition,There was, unfortunately, no third definition. Reluctantly, I conclude I am not a pilgrim.
2: one who travels to a shrine or holy place as a devotee – would leave me out, I wasn’t a ‘devotee’ of any of those religions. All of the pilgrimage examples I have just cited have been cases where a person of one religion travels for the purpose of strengthening his ties WITHIN that one religion. I was not a Buddhist or Catholic or Orthodox practitioner.
But does that mean I have to accept the disgrace of being a Spiritual Tourist?
I reluctantly accept that I can’t claim ‘pilgrim’ status for my quest, but does that mean I should stop visiting religious shrines and buying non-UU music?
I am trying to craft a THIRD possibility for my spiritual questing. One that allows me to exercise my right as a Unitarian Universalist to be a “Seeker” as enshrined in the Fourth principle “ A free and responsible search for truth and meaning” – and yet does not tip me over into being a thoughtless, rude, Tourist who sees other religions as ‘quaint’ or a type of sophisticated genuine-quasi Disney entertainment.
IV. Responsibilities of being a Seeker
I started by wondering how big of a deal ‘misappropriation’ really is to the people who are ‘mis-appropriated against’?
My Self immediately proclaimed my Innocence – I did NOT deliberately disrespect or mock another’s religious observance. I hadn’t mocked the monks at Taize or Vezelay. I had genuinely appreciated the artwork at the Buddhist and Orthodox centers.
Then I turned the tables on myself. I wondered how I would feel if someone came to a Singing Meditation session and in my home Unitarian congregation and observed US the way I observed the French nuns and monks while they were singing? Someone who only dropped in because there was a brief paragraph in the Fodor’s guide book about Eau Claire that said “If you happen to be there on a Sunday evening, check the local Unitarian Universalist congregation at 421 S. Farwell St. for some beautiful a cappella singing.”
We welcome visitors to Singing Meditation and we’ve had quite a few, but thus far they have all been participants. What if someone came and merely observed from the back pew, idly leafed through the pages of his guide book, looked at restaurant reviews while we were sitting in silence together, and then stood up and left before we were done? I would NOT have been a very happy pilgrimage “site.”
My friend Sue has attended Al-Anon meetings for a decade. She recently confided to me how angry she was with a recent visitor to her group who announced she was there to ‘observe’ as part of a psychology class assignment. Sue pointed out that her group is NOT an ‘open’ group and many people can only share their really deep and intimate feelings after they have had a chance to develop trust in the other members of the group – over a period of time. An Al-Anon meeting has no place for superficial pleasantries one would be willing to trade with a casual observer.
Surely for many religious adherents their sacred rituals require the same feeling of group intimacy and trust in order to have any powerful effect.
By turning the tables on myself, and getting Sue’s viewpoint on a similar situation, I know I will strive to be more respectful in the future when I visit religious observances. I’m willing to make additional effort to do so – rather than give up on my Questing -- because I am convinced spiritual travel can have a tremendous impact on my lives – even if I don’t embrace a new religion as a result.
That’s because I believe The REAL quest is the one that goes on within the Seeker. I believe that removing yourself from your familiar environment and placing your earnest and sincere attention on the environment of another can open you to an unfolding of Spirit and put you more deeply in touch with your own Inner Core of Guidance.
Thomas Merton wrote eloquently about this process in his book. No Man Is an Island:
"A tourist may go through a museum with a Baedeker, lookingMerton himself certainly knew the power of travel to transform a life. Born in France and raised in the US and England, he had had no religious leanings and no experience of Roman Catholicism -- until a tourist visit to Rome to ‘see the sites.’ Randomly visiting a church for its architecture, he became transfixed by a mosaic of Jesus Christ. This planted the seed for his conversion, a few years later, to Roman Catholicism. He eventually became a Trappist Monk.
conscientiously at everything important, and come out less alive than
when he went in. If he had stopped for a moment to look at one picture he really liked and forgotten about all the others . . . He would have discovered
something in himself. . . . His life would have been increased by a new capacity for being and for doing."
A few minutes ago we heard an excerpt from a sermon written by Patrick O’Neill, a UU minister who had a transcendent experience visiting the Cathedral of Chartres in France. I included this reading so I’d have an excuse to tell you this anecdote about my own trip to Chartres. Chartres has been on the Christian pilgrimage ‘must see’ list for over eight centuries. It is generally the stained glass windows that get people. The colors of the windows and the light mingled together in medieval Technicolor splendor.
I went to Chartres with my friend Liz. Liz immediately lost herself in admiration of the windows. I glanced at the windows, agreed they were beautiful and kept on walking around the interior of the cathedral looking for something interesting. I remember feeling cold and bored in the cavernous space. I ducked outside for a few minutes without telling Liz.
As I stepped outside there was a beggar standing on the top step singing cheerily to tourists coming and going from the cathedral. A scallop shell, symbol of the ancient pilgrimage to Santiago, was beside him for alms. I smiled broadly and started singing along with him. I was happy – no JOYFUL -- for the first time since I had set foot in Chartre. The beggar’s name was Yves and he had lived in Chartres all his life. We sang “Frere Jacques,” “Give my Regards to Broadway,” the Taize Alleluia, and a few other songs before Liz came bustling out of the cathedral with a worried look on her face because she thought she had lost me.
I’m not stretching a point here to say that although Liz thought I was lost, I had actually begun to find my own spiritual SELF, my core. I began to learn something that day that I didn’t fully appreciate until later. And that was this – that a spiritual building without music does not begin to touch my soul in the way that music does, with or without a building.
I did not always know that music is my passion in life.
This experience of a modern day ‘pilgrimage gone awry’ –and a few others like it-- gave me enough hints for me to eventually re-learn that my own personal soul responded far more to singing than to stained glass windows, hallowed walls, sculpture, labyrinths or antiquity. When given the opportunity, my soul sought out the songs of the beggar to feel closer to god, not the famous Rose windows of the Chartres cathedral.
And once I had that piece of self-knowledge it was a fabulous gift I could use in choosing – or even creating – meaningful spiritual practices for myself. A few years later I started the spiritual practice of Singing Meditation so I could deliberately tap into that joyous release I feel from singing.
The real gift of spiritual travel, I think, is the discoveries we make about what our own soul thirsts for, when we are freed from the constraints of the familiar surroundings.
And once we have that piece of self-knowledge it is a fabulous gift to use in choosing – and creating – meaningful spiritual practices for ourselves.
V. Questing is better when you have a ‘home’ to bring it all back to
As Unitarian Universalists in the 21st century we have an incredible opportunity not enjoyed by many people in the world – to create our own worship services, our own rituals, write our own sermons, our own songs. Not all houses of worship would let a person do that! But we Unitarian Universalists thrive on this synergy. Notice the Hindu songs in our hymnal. We also have Jewish and Christian songs there as well.
Furthermore, we can – and do – combine lyrics from one place and melodies from another. A good example of this cultural grafting is the song, Your Mercy O Eternal One, in our gray hymnal. The words were written by Rabindranath Tagore, an Indian Hindu who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913. The music for that hymn? It was from a 17th century Scottish hymn.
So when you journey to Peru and find yourself inspired not by the ruins of Macchu Picchu, but by the ritual of “The Four Directions” you observed – you have a ready-made place to share that knowledge, it might be within your Chalice Circle or by creating a special interest group. But that ritual need not be relegated to a few good snapshots on your Facebook page. You can bring it home to your UU congregation.
The sacred is everywhere just waiting to be discovered regardless of whether the distance covered. Removing yourself from your familiar environment and placing your earnest and sincere attention on another environment can open you to an unfolding of Spirit.
Ultimately, whether we turn out to be pilgrims who grow in self-awareness and enrich our spiritual paths because of travel– or are reviled as “Ugly Tourists” defiling the sacred rites of others to entertain ourselves – will depend in large part on the baggage we carry with us. As good UU Seekers we should pack supplies of respect, observe the boundaries established by others, refuse to mock that which strikes us as ridiculous – and we should have no problems with the border patrol or Traveler’s Remorse.
My wish for us all is that our spiritual questing will result in a deeper connection to the flame of joy that yearns to burn brightly within each one of us.
