A blog by Dan Morrell, Immediate-Past Moderator of our associate the URC’s Youth Assembly
At the back end of last year I went to Berlin for a solo holiday. It was mainly to make myself feel better and ease the jealousy about my sister travelling to Vietnam. But I’m certainly glad I did.
It wasn’t until I got to Berlin, and was sitting in my hostel planning my days, that I felt a sense of calling.
Last year was, of course, 500 years since Martin Luther famously nailed his 95 theses onto the doors to the church in Wittenberg, latterly named Lutherstadt-Wittenburg. It was to this place to which I felt a call. That morning, I impulsively bought a return ticket to Lutherstadt for the following day. So it was happening. I was going on a pilgrimage, visiting this site of huge religious significance to the church – the entire church.
On the train there I was questioning: “Why have I spent – particularly as a poor student – money on this? There are loads of free things to do in Berlin! And besides, I’m 21, I should be going clubbing, meeting new people in my hostel and taking endless ‘candid’ pictures in front of the Berlin Wall for my Instagram.” As the day went on, I was to discover why.
My walk from the station into the town centre was adorned by some of the 500 trees planted thanks to donations from Christian denominations around the world, predominantly Lutheran. It truly was an incredible sight.
As I spent the day visiting the museums, Luther’s house, the church in which he preached, a replica of the doors on which he nailed the theses (surprisingly they didn’t survive – have you tried putting 95 nails into a door?), I was still waiting for this monumental moment. Waiting for some kind of revelation to piece this visit together. Then, towards the end of my museum visit, I stumbled upon the words “Pray, and let God worry”.
Pray, and let God worry.
As you embark on pilgrimages, both physical and spiritual, well-known, or completely personal, and hopefully come and share with the URC’s theme of Pilgrimagination. Let’s not worry about where we’re going or how we’ll get there. Instead: pray, and let God worry.