Beginning to Reflect

We are back in Terre Haute after successfully completing our travels in England and Scotland. The experiences are ones that will remain in our memories for a lifetime. Now it is time to begin to process the experiences, reflecting upon them to draw insights and understandings from them.

The week on the Isle of Iona to participate with the Iona Community was a highlight for me. Standing in the abbey which dates back about 1500 years, to stand before a cross which has been standing for over 1000 years gives one a different perspective on time than we have here in the US.

The austere beauty of the island and the simple lifestyle of the community intrigued me. We had to watch our step as we walked the pathway from our lodging to the abbey because the sheep and cattle had free range of the property. What fences the island had were accompanied by steps and gates so that the fence would not impede your walking about the land. There was a sense of connection with the land inherent in the style of community life. It reminded me of younger days when I spent much time in the out of doors and I was reminded why I love nature so much.

The rhythm of life was built around meals and worship. The meals were simple, mostly vegetarian in nature (not a real hit with our children!) composed of soups and casserole style dishes with wonderful home baked breads. The week was a return to a simpler rhythm of life, away from the pressure of calendar and clock.

The other part of the experience which was so rich was the blending of cultural backgrounds. I have mentioned in an earlier post that the group was made up of people from all around the globe, from places like New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Holland, Sweden, Germany, England and the United States. There we overcame language barriers to develop community focused upon our common faith in Jesus Christ.

I am reading a book entitled "The Celtic Way" by Ian Bradley which is an introduction to Celtic Christianity. Bradley lifts up the experiences of St. Brigid, one of the early Celtic saints. When Brigid was asked what were the three things most pleasing to God, Bridgid replied, "true faith in the Lord with a pure heart, a simple life with piety and generosity with charity."

In reflecting upon the time in Iona, I am reminded of the wisdom of our ancestors. Have we lost some perspective in our time of busyness filled with so many distractions? Have we made faith too complicated as a mental assertion rather than a heart response? Have we lost touch with the fact that all of humanity was created as God's children for whom Christ died?