Why We Use the Language of Pilgrim and Pilgrimage
You’ve seen the words Pilgrim and Pilgrimage throughout Unchurch: The Kingdom Way and you may wonder why we keep using them. These aren’t trendy labels, spiritual jargon, or poetic flourish. They are carefully chosen terms with strong biblical support and a long history in Christian teaching. They help explain the Christian life in a way that is realistic, grounded, and understandable for believers at any stage, including those who are brand new to following Jesus.
When we refer to Christians as pilgrims, we are simply acknowledging what Scripture teaches: that this life is not our final destination. The Bible consistently describes God’s people as those who belong to Him but still live in a world that is temporary, changing, and often confusing. Hebrews 11:13–16 speaks of believers as “strangers and exiles” who see themselves as travelers headed toward a future that God has prepared. Philippians 3:20 tells us that our true citizenship is in heaven, pointing out that while we engage with this world, our identity and hope come from somewhere greater. In 1 Peter 2:11, believers are addressed as “sojourners,” which means temporary residents who are learning how to live faithfully in a place that is not ultimately home. These passages create a consistent picture: Christians live in the world, but they are shaped by the Kingdom of God, which they are moving toward daily.
This understanding did not fade after the New Testament. Early Christian leaders drew from it to teach and guide the church. Augustine famously described the human heart as being “restless” until it finds its rest in God, suggesting that our unsettledness in this world is not a flaw but evidence that we were made for something beyond it. Gregory of Nyssa taught that the Christian life is marked by continual progress, never a finished state, because knowing God leads us into ongoing growth rather than final arrival in this life. This helped early believers understand why spiritual development takes time and why maturity cannot be rushed.
In later centuries, pastors and theologians continued this theme. Jonathan Edwards wrote that earthly life is a “preparatory state,” a kind of training ground shaping believers for eternity. He viewed the Christian life as a meaningful but temporary path that requires attention, humility, and perseverance. John Bunyan captured these same realities in The Pilgrim’s Progress, using simple storytelling to show how ordinary believers face temptations, distractions, setbacks, and encouragements. His characters endure fear, doubt, exhaustion, and misunderstanding, exactly the kinds of experiences Christians still face, which is why the book has remained relevant for generations.
More recent writers have continued reinforcing this language because it describes the everyday experience of following Jesus with accuracy and simplicity. Randy Alcorn emphasizes that a pilgrim mindset helps believers live with eternity in view instead of being pulled entirely into temporary concerns. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about the costly but purposeful nature of discipleship, showing that following Christ requires movement, decisions, and growth over time. Richard Baxter focused on the practical challenges of daily obedience, while C.S. Lewis highlighted how the Christian journey reshapes our desires, habits, and view of the world. All of these thinkers, despite writing in different contexts, point to the same truth: we are pilgrims on a pilgrimage with purpose and much work to do.
At Unchurch, we use these terms because they reflect reality. That faith is not a static label but a living process. Following Jesus is not a one-time decision that instantly settles everything. Yes, you read that correctly, and it bears repeating: becoming a follower of Jesus does not instantly resolve every question or struggle. Instead, it is a lifelong process that includes learning, unlearning, growing, wrestling, and begins a journey where you gradually learn what it means to trust God, to rely on Jesus, and to understand Scripture – and therefore – man and the world. The pilgrim language makes room for the normal ups and downs of spiritual growth, moments of clarity, but also moments of confusion, setbacks, questions, and seasons of slow progress. It acknowledges that believers change over time, that formation is ongoing, and that God is patient and intentional as He leads His people step by step. It also emphasizes that the Christian life has direction. It moves somewhere. It is not random or aimless. It is guided by the character and promises of God.
Pilgrim’s Voices exists within this framework. It is a curated space where the pilgrim theme breathes through essays, testimonies, guest writings, word studies, commentaries, and artistic reflection. The intent is not merely to inform but to accompany; to let the voices of fellow travelers, both historical and contemporary, lend strength and clarity to those still walking their own unsteady paths. In this way, the project participates in a long-standing Christian tradition: the passing down of wisdom “from traveler to traveler,” a practice as old as the faith itself.
By using the language of pilgrim and pilgrimage, we are simply telling the truth about what it means to walk with God. It reminds us that we are not finished, that we are still growing, and that the Christian life involves movement—forward, imperfect, but purposeful. It also connects us to the entire Bride across history, helping us remember that believers before us wrestled with the same questions, hopes, and challenges we face now. For new believers especially, this framework can make the spiritual life easier to understand. It shows that you do not have to “have everything figured out” to follow Jesus; you only need to keep walking toward Him.