Taraz and Megan are shown here in front of the Centre for the Study of the Texts on Mt Carmel, in Haifa, Israel. The Centre is for scholarly research designed to assist in translations and commentaries relating to the authoritative texts of the Baha'i Faith. They are on Baha'i Pilgrimage.When I look at their faces, I wish I could describe what I know of these two, but, where to start. Megan is so sweet, capable, and strong, and Taraz is so refreshing, sensitive, and dear. In this photo, I see my son as I experience him, gentle, ready to break into a smile, and eager to see people happy. Megan is the one who helps keep him steady, giving direction to their lives. She was also the one to keep abreast of all the details of their new adventure.
A pilgrimage has all kinds of agendas. The object is not rest and recreation (to get away from it all). To set out on a pilgrimage is to test and challange, to expand the perimeters of our inner thought and resources. In 'The Art of Pilgrimage' by Phil Cousineau, Huston Smith, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of California, writes: "Nothing matters now but this adventure. Travelers jostle each other to board the train where they crowd together for a journey that may last several days. After that there is a stony road to climb on foot - a rough, wild path in a landscape where everything is new. The naked glitter of the sacred mountain stirs the imagination; the adventure of self-conquest has begun. Specifics may differ, but the substance is always the same."
The reality of pilgrimage is that there are a multitude of details, many of which can be overwhelming - like dealing the the intensity and clamor of a busy Israeli city, with taxis and buses and people. Airports. Baggage. Currency exchanges. Customs. There is an itinerary - the Shrines of the holy figures within our Faith, the monument gardens on Mt Carmel, the dwellings, barracks and prison where Baha'u'llah and his family spent 40 years of exile and imprisonment, and lectures and tours within Akka, Bahji and Haifa.
Taraz and Megan took time to enjoy all of it, some of it (for Taraz) at their own pace. One of his most enjoyable days was spent sitting on one of the terraces of Mt Carmel, enjoying the gardens and the vista over the bay of Haifa. Israel....so different from their lives here in Tacoma. Why, just a little over a half a year ago, the city was being bombed with rockets from Lebanon, and residents were hiding in their hallways, waiting for the night-time attacks to stop. When Taraz sat in quiet reflection, he felt the long, arduous history of this ancient land.
There is the need in all human beings to seek a sheltered spot, a refuge, where they feel at home and where they feel fulfilled in all the dimmensions of what it means to be human. Some people go somewhere, on a journey to a place; others go exploring within. Some go alone, others travel like the Baha'i pilgrims - 300 for the 12 day journey. Taraz and Megan came home stronger for the journey, filled with lots of stories. I told him, "Going on a pilgrimage is similar to the pioneers on the Oregon Trail. They had a vision of the promised land, green pastures with grazing deer, helpful neighbors, and a secure destiny for their children and grand-children. In reality, they suffered the sudden attack of Indians, wagons breaking down, children getting sick, and burying loved ones along the trail where their graves were dug up by wolves." In other words, it is both a vision of sublime possibilities and the hard reality of a journey.
Taraz and Megan returned to their home, after hours cramped on flights, and checking baggage, and getting reacquainted with the bustle of busy Seattle traffic at Sea-Tac airport. Taraz was so jet-lagged, that when his alarm went off in their apartment the next morning, he thought he was still in Haifa, in the hotel. He thought that room service was calling!
