The "Thin Place"

The small Isle of Iona drips with raw natural beauty. It's a nature that's not overpowering. It's a nature that provides comfort and is close by at all times from the ocean shores, white sand beaches, rocky outcroppings, lush green meadows, heather covered hillsides and sheep, yes sheep, everywhere. Along the pilgrimage on Iona I was struck by the scene in this picture (click on pic for closer look.) It's one of my favorites of more than 700 shots I took. Through the misty scene a stone fence sheltered a newly mown field. It was so picturesque and captured a vision I held of what the British Isles would look like, so pastoral. It was hard to tell where the misty heavens ended and the lush green earth began. It also captures for me something on Iona called the "thin place." George MacLeod, the creater of the Iona Community, is credited for originally saying that Iona itself was a "thin place" where the material and spiritual came close to each other. It is symbolized in the Celtic pattern of weaving vines that point to the intertwining of heaven and earth. Along the pilgrimage and in many moments during the week on Iona I experienced "thin place" moments. There was a unique calm connection with all around -- people and nature. Sometimes I wondered which side of the thin place I was experiencing.