There's a ferry that crosses from Mull to the island in about 15 minutes time. There are no cars, but island of Iona is only about 2.5 miles by 1.5 miles in dimension, so it's not too difficult to walk.
When I landed there I was struck by the simplicity and beauty of the island. But what struck me the most was how "spiritually" significant places I was ever going to visit. I felt a sense of God's presence wherever my foot set down. The sky above seemed to open up, the winds were whipping in from the ocean, and God chose this place hundreds of years before to launch a Kingdom invasion.
The history is that Patrick, that is St. Patrick, went back to Ireland to evangelize the Druids and Irish Celts. He set up monastic communities before he died, and among them a young man named "Columba" grew. Columba felt God telling him to carry the Gospel to other lands, and so with a few committed brothers he set sail - literally putting the sails up into the air and asking the Spirit of God to blow the breath of God into the sails until they would come to land. They landed at Iona. It was 563 A.D. It was the beginning of the end for pagan Scotland and England. Over the course of a few dozen years Columba and his friends spread out over all of Scotland, winning converts from the Picts and other Scottish tribes. By the time Columba died, sixty monastic communities - not just places where monks lived, but outposts in hostile territory - were established. Christianity had taken root in Scotland and England and the "yeast" would grow over time to drive out all of the pagan religions and establish Christianity in Europe.
Iona became a symbol of what Christ would do through the dedication of one person who's heart, soul, mind, strength, was totally committed to God. Columba knew that the possibility of he becoming a martyr was high. Many of the other brothers were martyred as they brought the gospel to Scotland. The ground of that island is considered to be sacred ground...
I walked it, and I believe it is.
Iona is a part of what can be called "Celtic Christianity". It is a beautiful spirituality that I love.
One of the concepts of the Celtic Christians is what they call "thin places". The concept is simple. We live in a material world that is surrounded by a Spiritual world, and they are always next to each other; but we often don't sense the spiritual. In those "thin places" the separation seems to disappear. We are still very aware of our material and physical surroundings, but the separation from the spiritual seems to disappear and we are also very aware of the spiritual presence of the heavenly world.
Iona, along with a few other places I've been to, is one of those "thin places". In the course of their day these Celtic missionaries sensed God's presence wherever they went, and so they had no fear as to the circumstances and outcomes that might exist. When they arose they lit their fires "in the presence of the holy angels." Throughout the day from the early morning milking of the cows to the end of the day when they fed the fire to burn throughout the night they prayed their way through the day - ever conscious that God was with them. I love this prayer:
The Sacred Three
To Save,
To Sheild,
To Surround
The hearth,
The house,
The household,
This Eve,
This night,
Oh! This Eve,
This Night,
And every night,
Each single night,
Amen.
The Celts taught me that God was always present, and so they opened themselves up constantly to the presence, friendship, fellowship, and love of God.
Through disciplined times of contemplation, prayer, study, and mission, they saw God at work in their work.
This raises the main issue. It is only in our lives lived spiritually, transformed, and intentional that we will see the world around us transformed. If you want your life to be significant, purposeful, spiritual, then it will mean that Christ is real and present and active in all that you do. Jesus said it first:
This raises the main issue. It is only in our lives lived spiritually, transformed, and intentional that we will see the world around us transformed. If you want your life to be significant, purposeful, spiritual, then it will mean that Christ is real and present and active in all that you do. Jesus said it first:
John 15:4-9 (ESV)
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
Peace
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