In Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture, Turner discusses the importance of “trials, tribulations, and temptations of the pilgrim’s way” (Turner). Pilgrimages can be very difficult and leave the pilgrim in a physically worse state than at the start of their journey. For example, every year countless people travel the Appalachian Trail in hopes of hiking the entire distance. Yet the majority of these eager hikers give up on the journey when the physical burden becomes too much to handle. For those hikers who do reach the end, the spiritual significance can oftentimes be overwhelming. The question at hand however, is whether or not the experience would have been as spiritually significant if it had not been as physically difficult or if the temptation to quit had not been there. I guess that question can’t really be answered, but I know personally the most meaningful and memorable experiences in my own life have been the ones fraught with trials and tribulations, so perhaps Turner is on to something…
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