‽istis ponders pilgrims, stereotypes and caricatures‽ (weekending April 6th 2024)
This week ‽istis
has watched the BBC’s programme ‘Pilgrimage’[i],
the latest of six seasons of modern pilgrims taking roads more or less
travelled[ii]:
to Santiago and Rome, to Istanbul and the Scottish Isles, through Portugal and
now through North Wales. It has become, perhaps, a bit of an Easter tradition.
So, this year, seven (the perfect number?) ‘well-known
personalities commit to an immersive experience’ - going on a pilgrimage, which
the opening sequence tells us can be ‘renewing and transformative’. They are ‘following
the North Wales Pilgrims’ Way, a path linked by churches and echoing tales of
long-forgotten Celtic early Christian saints.’
Alongside ‘casting’ criteria that may include: amiable
travelling companion, entertaining, interesting and interested (‽istis’
favourite qualities perhaps), engaging, slightly quirky and unusual, being a
character, being up for it, willing to muck in and enter in to the spirit of
the programme – the faith or lack of it is an obvious key link. Descriptions of
the pilgrims across the six series include: humanism, lapsed Catholic, Muslim, Anglican,
Jain, Presbyterian, atheist, Jewish, non-practising Muslim, agnostic, Sikh, pagan,
born-again Pentecostal Christian, non-observant Jewish, faith in the natural
world, questioning Evangelical Christian, non-religious, Catholic convert and
areligious.
Leaving aside the interest and entertainment wrought through
·
exclamations
of wonder and/or discomfort
·
more
or less guarded or unguarded personal revelations
·
more
or less likely or unlikely bourgeoning friendships
·
giggles
and niggles (sorry, a rhyme not to be missed)
·
smiles
and tears
·
jolly
japes and jokes
·
snorings,
wailings and thunderclaps
·
cod
philosophy
·
glimpses
of genuineness and authenticity
·
expressions
of care and compassion
·
more
or less revelatory insights
this year’s pilgrimage has led ‽istis to much pondering about
stereotyping and caricaturing not least of ‘well-known personalities’ (a stand-up
comedian, a wildlife presenter, an actor, a TV personality and former model,
someone who ‘shot to fame on an entertainment show’, a journalist and TV presenter,
a reality star and business person) and some of the people that they met on the
journey: a bishop, a pioneer priest, overnight stopping places hosts, a vicar,
a retreat builder, a spiritual leader, a lama, the Bardsey Island wise ferryman,
a vicar who ‘got us - what a dude’…
The ’actor’ (as well as treating us all to a rendition of part
of a Gerard Manley Hopkins’ epic and pertinent poem[iii]
delivered in freezing well waters!) started the train of thought early on in
the programme - worried that a wonderful moment of communing with a worm or
with the Holy Spirit may be interrupted by a reality star’s “What you looking
at?” But it was one pilgrim who perhaps seemed to both confirm and challenge some
of ‽istis’ own stereotyping and caricaturing tendencies:
·
The
Eton attending schoolboy. The legacy? Memories of a ‘religious vibe’ (but left thinking that Jesus was a fictitious character in
which you either believed or didn’t? ”Jesus Christ definitely existed?” Ep.1 c.
38’) and a capacity to cope with a ‘minging’ climbing hut that “takes me
straight back to school.”
·
The
son of a father who had little tolerance for weakness – perhaps not unconnected
to being a son who found it difficult to express any fear or emotion? And also
perhaps not unconnected to becoming the ultra-marathon running brother of an
Everest climber; someone able to disassociate from the discomfort?
·
The
mantra-proclaimer:
o “Discomfort is key. Comfort is a
killer. Push through the pain. Push on up the hill. Never stop. Never fear.
Move forward at all times.” (Ep.2 c. 09’50”)
o “Remember one foot in front of
the other. Head down. We will get there. Do not be demoralised.” (Ep.3 c.34’40”)
o “Yes of course you need to be
tested.” “For what reason?” “You can’t go through life untested and
unchallenged!” (Ep.2 c.14’30”)
·
The
practical joker: perhaps testing the boundary between jolly jape v could-be-construed-as-bullying
(even in the interests of televisual comedy in the middle of a serious
programme):
o dragging a ‘fellow pilgrim’
under a branch (Ep.1. c.41’28”) “He’s alright, he needs to build resilience!”
o top of Snowdon fear of heights “What
if I hold you?” followed by one of those oh so funny, fake pushings towards the
edge (Ep.2 c.40’22”)
o a ‘set-piece’ which may have
been planned/consensual, but which nevertheless (Ep.3. 42’23”) went like this: “What
are you doing down there, mate?” “I’m just relaxing.” “There’s no time for that.” “We need to get
you up.” The offered hand, the pull up, the push forward and a face in the sand…
·
The
asker of profound questions: (Ep.2 c. 12’09”) asking what would you call a
hybrid of, kind of, just people of faith, who are spiritual, who aren’t in a
particular lane? Why do you need to pick a lane? What does that make you, a citizen of the
world?
·
The
inspirer (Ep.2 c.56’), the genuine hand-holder and helper Ep.3 c.57’)
Meanwhile, back to those more or less revelatory insights... For this year’s pilgrims there definitely seemed to have been some: about themselves and others; about faith and belief; new or renewed thoughts,
feelings and perhaps even behaviour - ways of being and doing that may last into the future, that may even renew and transform the ‘back
to the every day’.
‽ The notion of ‘thin places’ (where
the barrier between heaven and earth seems thinner’; where perhaps past,
present and future merge; where heaven and earth may whisper a greeting) seemed
to resonate for many. ‽istis also wondered about ‘thin times’ and ‘thin
relationships’. Maybe a glimpse of the most precious revelation was given in the
many moments of interest and interestingness, of friendship, of listening, of
compassion, of kindness, of genuineness and authenticity, of caring, of a group
or team becoming a shared and bigger ‘us’?). And there was the recognition
of the potential value of seeking a ‘ponder spot’…
‽ Remembering that life comes and goes but that the mountains are always there[iv], that when encompassed in “a duvet of sadness, each step I take I feel more grounded to the earth and I can cope better.” (Ep.2 c. 36’10”)
‽ The potential OK-ness and value of moving on, of holding on to some things but not being held back.
‽ That maybe there is a way not to be scared of death any more. (Ep. 3 c. 30’)
‽ The value of living and not just existing. (Ep.3 c. 58’)
‽ That maybe ‘heaven is here, right now, with us together.’ (Ep.2 c. 11’45”)
‽ The idea of life itself as a journey or pilgrimage (Ep.3 c. 30’)…
And ‽istis is grateful for the ‘pilgrims’
and the shared internal and external landscapes in which they travelled, for
those they met on the way and for all those involved in making the programme. ‽istis hopes that series seven is in the
planning stages and that some listeners and watchers may even be preparing for
their own pilgrimage or realising afresh that they just perhaps, possibly, may
be actually on the road right now - wherever, whenever and whatsoever…
NB:
further reflections and comments linked to this week’s theme and past blog
entries to be found on X/Twitter with replies, retweets (which don’t
necessarily indicate approval, sometimes the very opposite!) and ‘likes’:
@Pistis_wonders.
X/Twitter ‘follows’ and
respectful comment and dialogue welcome...
[ii]
Following: Camino de Santiago, Via Francigena to the Vatican, the Sultans Trail
to Istanbul, the Hiberno-Scottish
mission and the Fatima Way, the North (Wales) Pilgrim’s Way.
[iii] ‘Here
to this holy well shall pilgrimages be,
And not from purple Wales only nor from elmy England,
But from beyond seas, Erin, France and Flanders,
everywhere,
Pilgrims, still pilgrims, móre pílgrims, still more
poor pilgrims.’ https://www.poetrynook.com/poem/st-winefreds-well
[iv]
Thank you Micheala Strachan and EH!
