VISUAL MEDITATION - "Living as a Pilgrim"
- Paul G. Chandler
- Aug 24
- 4 min read
By Paul G. Chandler - August 24, 2025:
"Living a life of pilgrimage requires a journey within the geography of the heart."
I recently had the privilege of spending some time with the remarkable Iraqi artist Qais Al Sindy. Qais is a member of the historic Chaldean Christian community in Iraq and also closely identifies with the ancient Assyrian Church of the East. As I prepare to launch a new exhibition that I am curating focused on today’s climate catastrophe featuring artists of different faith traditions, I have been made freshly aware of the current climate of increasing prejudice and polarization. The sharp rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia is alarming. It is critical that this escalation of misunderstanding and misrepresentation not become the norm.
I am reminded of an inspiring painting by Qais Al Sindy of the patriarch Abraham, the common ancestor of distinct spiritual significance to Christians, Muslims, and Jews, who all self-identify as “children of Abraham.” Abraham, whose name means “father of many,” was born in what was known as Ur of the Chaldees, in today’s Iraq. He left his homeland and journeyed throughout the Middle East for the rest of his life. Abraham has forever since been understood as having lived a life of pilgrimage, which has led the Abrahamic religious traditions to emphasize the spiritual importance of pilgrimage in their respective expressions of faith. And it is in this sense that this beloved ancient figure comes to our rescue in the current culture of stereotyping and “othering.”
Qais’ powerful painting is titled Living as a Pilgrim. Reflecting on his mixed media painting, Qais says, “Abraham begins his pilgrimage from Ur of the Chaldees, which is now called Nasiriyah in southern Iraq. This is where the Great Ziggurat of Ur was built by the Sumerian king. And most importantly, as Abraham traveled throughout foreign lands, he lived harmoniously among their peoples.”
Qais reminds the viewer that Abraham is seen as a model of welcoming the “stranger” and embracing the “other.” In the painting, he highlights for us that Abraham’s life story is not just one of leaving his geographic homeland and journeying to a foreign place. Rather, Abraham also left behind a narrow-minded and parochial worldview, as his call was as much a call to an inner journey as it was to an outer one, thereby providing a universal example for us all. Living a life of pilgrimage requires a journey within the geography of the heart.
Qais’ painting reminds us that in relating to the “other,” we should see ourselves first and foremost as “pilgrims,” journeying in life and never seeing ourselves as having arrived. So often religious traditions teach us that if we live a certain way or adhere to a specific creed that we “arrive.” Often religions put borders around beliefs and cultural worldviews, inferring a sense of finality. However, a true pilgrim is someone who is always journeying, exploring and discovering anew. This entails meeting new people and learning from others who are different from ourselves. Living as a pilgrim, or having a “pilgrim worldview,” requires an attitude of openness to receiving from the “other,” regardless from whom or where it comes.
To illustrate the importance of Abraham’s example of pilgrimage, Qais explains, “I painted Abraham carrying a sheep on his shoulders, because I see him as a shepherd leading his people to a land of promise. In Iraq, I bought an old Nasiriyan shepherd’s cloak made of sheep’s wool, cut it into pieces and pasted some of them on the canvas to give shape to Abraham’s clothes. I wanted to bring to the viewer the spirit and soul of this great prophet through the material of his native land.” Throughout the exhibition tour, it was quite fascinating to see how many visitors felt the need to try to feel and even smell the swatch on the painting from an Iraqi shepherd’s cloak.
To further illustrate Abraham’s life of pilgrimage, Qais explains, “I also depict the Ziggurat as a burden on his shoulders because he carries his people and culture with him in his heart as he journeys. The white pyramid on his left is a foreshadowing of his journey into the foreign land of Egypt and of what will happen to his offspring.”
Living as a Pilgrim is a poignant visual lesson reminding us that Abraham’s example of welcoming the stranger and embracing the other still speaks to the needs of our contemporary context thousands of years later. It also mirrors for us the Creator’s universal embrace of all humanity. It is in this way that the extraordinary promise from the Divine Artist to Abraham comes true - “that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him.”
I love the poem in the Book of Psalms known as the Pilgrim Psalm (Ps. 84) that is embraced by Christians, Muslims and Jews. In the middle of the poem is a profoundly beautiful promise, that can serve as our guide: “Blessed are those who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.”
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About the Artist
Qais Al Sindy was born in Baghdad, Iraq, in 1967 and has a BSc degree in Engineering (1989) as well as a BFA (2000) and an MFA (2004) from the Academy of Fine Arts at Baghdad University. In Amman, Jordan, where he lived for four years, Qais taught "Art in Architectural Engineering" at the University of Applied Science. Beginning with his first major exhibition titled “Letters Don’t Burn,” which was about the burning of the Iraqi library, he has exhibited around the world on themes related to humanity, culture and civilization. Qais is of Chaldean Christian heritage and now lives in San Diego, California. For more information, see: www.oncaravan.org/qais-al-sindy and www.qaissindy.com.
Note: A version of this reflection was first published in ArtWay.
