Greetings from Iona
Dear Friends,
As I write this letter, I’m enroute to Iona, Scotland for a spiritual pilgrimage and silent retreat.
A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred site for spiritual purposes and transformation. This differs from tourism for leisure or recreation, although I still plan on having lots of fun in Scotland!
I’ve been training as a spiritual director for the last two years and going on a 2.5 day silent retreat is part of my practice. I’m doing a self- guided retreat with my husband, rather than going with a group. Last year, I went on a solo trip to Cat Island in the Bahamas for a silent retreat at a remote inn on the beach. I was like a sun-kissed St. Francis, as I spent most of my time under a wooden lean-to, letting the sun, clouds, and ocean teach me about Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
This year in Iona, I’m excited to soak in the natural beauty of the windswept island in the Inner Hebrides off the western coast of Scotland. Iona is known as the birthplace of Celtic Christianity where St. Columba (d. 597 AD) and so many others learned, prayed, communed, and shared life together before being sent out to share the good news of Jesus throughout the land.
Iona is known as a thin place- a place so coated and layered in prayer that the very atmosphere is transformed by the soaking presence of God. Personally, I think each Christ follower, even people like you and me, can be like living breathing thin places- through faith in Jesus Christ. The ancient temple of the Israelites was a holy place where heaven and earth meet, the dwelling place of God! Now we are living temples of God! As Paul writes in Corinthians, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Cor. 6:19
I can’t wait to share my experiences in Iona with you, but even if you can’t travel to far off places this summer, remember, Christ is within you! May you be transformed by His love, in the quiet, around the table with friends, and on the road, reaching out in love.
Blessings, pilgrims!
Rev. Tara