Many of you may know a relative or a friend who has been on a pilgrimage but how many of you actually understand what that means and how it affects the person spiritually and mentally.

Pilgrimages are made to supposedly take people on the journey and show them a new way of life. A life with God at the centre of it. It is meant to be very calming and freeing, as the pilgrims are taking a step away and back from life and all its chaos and business.

Below is an interview with a lay preacher of a United Reformed church who went on a Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

When and where did you go on this pilgrimage?

My wife and I went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in November 2017 with a group of people along with the minister of the United Reformed Church. There were about 20 of us and we went for a week. We got on a flight from Luton to Tel Aviv where our journey began.

What did you do there?

First of all, we went to the sea of Galilee. This was where, in the Christian religion, Isaiah foretold that the Messiah would come to Galilee and then it happened not long after. We went on a boat trip around the sea of Galilee which is enormous. We stopped halfway to listen to a sermon and to sing a hymn. We quickly realised why we did this as you could hear all the other boats in the in the distance singing songs of worship; sometimes they were the same songs as we sung. It was a very spiritual moment for me and was very special as we were actually spending time in a place focal to our faith.

Then we went to visit the Mount of olives. This is a Hill outside of the Jerusalem city which is very impressive. We walked down it to the garden of Gethsemane. This is where Jesus prayed before being put on the cross and crucified. It was a very imaginative place and allowed me to really envisage the stories that took place here. After this we visited the old city of Jerusalem. It was not the kind of place I had expected but nonetheless, it was still a very jolly and peaceful place.

The next day, early morning we attended a service at the holy sepulchre Chapel. This was built at the place where Jesus was crucified. There were huge crowds of people who wanted to visit the cave where Christs body was laid. Then we walked the 14 stages of the cross backwards because the endpoint was the Sepulchre chapel. It was very interesting, and I really enjoyed myself. We did see a lot of people holding massive crosses as they relived the 14 stages leading up to Jesus’s death. This must have been very tiring but shows how people are inspired by the Bible and wanted to follow and feel what it was like for Jesus. This was very moving!

The next day we went to the wailing wall which is very old. It is the remains of Solomon’s and Herold’s temple. Here, you are supposed to write a prayer and put it in the gap in the wall. Pope Francis has been here along with many other famous Christian people, so it was very special. What I found particularly interesting was that men and woman were separated and that there were congregations of Jews right next to it and so there was a lot of noise, bands, canopies, tents and families. I would have expected it to be a quiet and peaceful place where you could reflect. This was very surprising.

 Additionally, there was a holy mosque over the top of the wailing wall. This meant that the Christians and Muslims both find this site holy to their religions. The women had to buy dresses that were very long to cover up any skin showing so that they could they would be acceptable to go to the wailing wall. For Muslims, it is very disrespectful to have skin showing when going into a place of worship.

The second to last morning we visited the Church of Sudan which was very beautiful. As we entered the chapel, we heard nuns singing – it was very welcoming and very calming. This place was an alternative site to remember the crucifixion. We had Holy Communion here and visited the gardens as well as the sepulchre.

The final day we visited and swam in the Dead Sea. This was very interesting as it's so salty that you float. In fact, it is virtually impossible to sink. The Dead Sea is slightly further away from Jerusalem and the Holy Land  which was particularly good because we weren't allowed in Jerusalem as it was the Muslims prayer day and it was also the start of the Jewish Sabbath that evening, where no one works so we wouldn't have been able to get much food or drink.

Did you have a guide on this pilgrimage?

Yes, we had a Palestinian Christian guide who was very helpful because he was born in Bethlehem and so he knew all the tricks of the trade. He knew everything about the place, meaning we visited all the best places and had the best possible time. However, he was not treated well when we went to the Jewish checkpoints because he is a known Christian in the area and Jews do not get on particularly well with Christians.

Has this trip changed you in any way and would do advise others to go?

This has changed me as it reinforces my belief and allows me to have a much clearer idea of places described in the bible and the distances involved. For example, from Bethany to Jerusalem you can see just how far people had to walk to get there. Additionally, it allowed me to have a better understanding of what it is really like here and so I can really envision the Bible stories. It was wonderful and I really enjoyed myself. I would recommend it to anyone who wants an enticing experience where they will learn a lot about themselves and about the Christian faith and Jesus. You also get time away from your usual daily life and the busy cities some of us live in. You can just take a step back. This is important to do every once in a while. Finally, you make many new friends and meet new people – it was a great experience!

Overall, we find out that many pilgrimages can change people’s lives and allow you to become a more spiritual being.