To get there, I will first have to take the Caledonian sleeper train from London to Crianlarich in Scotland. From there, I’ll take another train to the town of Oban. A short walk to the ferry terminal will prepare me to board a boat to the Isle of Mull. From the port at Craignure, I will then board a bus that will transport me from one side of the island to the other. Upon arriving there, I will board another ferry that will take me to the island of Iona.
Why in the world would I go to such lengths to visit a small island off the western coast of Scotland this spring? The short answer is because the island’s history and place in the Celtic Christian tradition is profound.
Founded in the 6th century by St. Columba of Ireland, the monastery that developed on the small spit of land among the Inner Hebrides of Scotland became the center of an expression of Christianity that helped to reintroduce the faith to a people that was descending into a dark age.
Iona is what they call a ‘thin place’ in the Celtic Christian tradition. That is, it is a location that is set-apart, sacred and holy because the membrane between this world and heaven is thin. For centuries, faithful followers of Christ have visited this island to connect with its rich history and to be in a space that is powerfully transcendent.
I will be spending a few days at Iona later this spring walking the coastline and visiting the ancient monastic ruins and the modern-day, intentional Christian community.
My doctoral work this spring focuses on the power and significance that place occupies in the Celtic tradition. My research will involve learning more about how the ancient Christians in Ireland believed that particular places were intimately connected to their experience of the faith. My trip to Iona will be the capstone to my work this spring as I’ll have the chance to experience firsthand what I’ve been learning.
My studies will then shift this summer as I prepare for the project phase of my program. This fall, I will be testing an idea that I have been developing these last months. I’ll need your help to execute it. Just as the early church in Ireland incorporated in their Christian communities, and just as we see in the disciples who experienced the resurrected Christ on the way to Emmaus, I believe that the practice of spiritual friendship strengthens our faith. Rest assured, brothers and sisters, you will hear more about this in the weeks to come. I hope that you will consider being a part of this journey of discovery with me.
In the spring of 2020, I will write about my findings with the project and will share what I have learned with you and the fine people at Campbell University Divinity School. I’m curious as to what we might learn together.
In the meantime, I will continue to learn how our ancient brothers and sisters in the faith lived out their call to be followers of Jesus. We are not the first to walk down the roads that we are traveling. We are not the first to experience the hardships, challenges and difficulties that a life of faith frequently presents. As such, I am energized by the prospect that the faithful from a different age might be our most helpful guides as we walk deeper into the 21st Century.
I’m grateful for your support, your encouragement, and your presence as we walk and learn together.