As I mentioned in my Maundy Thursday sermon, the Anglican Communion of which our Episcopal Church is a part has a new Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally. Archbishop Mullally was installed in a service at Canterbury Cathedral on March 25. She is the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC), and the first woman to hold the position since it was created back in 597 CE! The ABC is the leader of the Church of England, and she serves as a “focus of unity” for the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Prior to her installation, Archbishop Mullally also revived an old tradition – she walked from St. Paul’s Cathedral in London to Canterbury Cathedral along what is called the Beckett Camino. She is the first ABC in modern history to make the pilgrimage, and she covered the 87-mile route over six days, walking with her husband and other supporters. The trip was part of her spiritual preparation, and it also represented her journey from being Bishop of London to becoming the ABC.
Archbishop Mullally said that as she walked, she prayed for the Church and the world, and asked God’s blessing on all those she met. She reminds us that every Christian life is a pilgrimage, a journey with God.
Now that spring is more fully here, we too might find ways to go on pilgrimage, or walks, with God. There’s no need to walk as far as the ABC did − though if you can take a long pilgrimage sometime, there is much to recommend it! But even a short walk in a park can be a spiritual journey if you set out with that intention. As you walk, you might take a cue from Archbishop Mullally and pray − pray for the Church and the world, and ask God to bless all those you pass. You might also simply keep your eyes open and your heart in contemplation of the springtime beauty all around you.
I hope you will try this practice during Eastertide − and may God bless your every step!
