A pilgrimage is a journey, often long and physically challenging, made to a sacred place for religious or spiritual reasons. The primary goal is often to seek divine favor, perform penance, achieve personal transformation, or experience a deeper connection with the divine. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Those of you who know me will guess that I am not the pilgrimage type. I am more a homebody on the lookout for burning bushes while meeting up with friends over meals. But my beloved wife has been encouraging me to do things outside my comfort zone since I am now in my early 70s. So, 18 of us embarked on a pilgrimage to Iona.
The Isle of Iona is a tiny, wind-swept island in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides revered globally as the “Cradle of Scottish Christianity.” Ever since the Irish monk Saint Columba landed here in AD 563 to establish a monastery, this island has served as a transformative center of spiritual renewal. It is widely celebrated in Celtic spirituality as a “thin place”—a sacred landscape where the boundary between the material world and the divine feels uniquely narrow. (Washington National Cathedral)
Bernice and I flew Turkish Airlines to Edinburgh via Istanbul. Then there were train rides to Glasgow and Oban. From there two ferry rides and a bus ride before we reached the Isle of Iona. A long journey with many stops. But I shouldn’t complain because “A pilgrimage is a journey, often long and physically challenging, made to a sacred place for religious or spiritual reasons” (Cambridge Dictionary). I thank God that I was physically able to make the journey — a result, I believe, of recent attempts to improve my physical health.
The details of the journey aside, the purpose of the pilgrimage was to encounter God afresh. God is everywhere but a change of scenery and context often heightens our spiritual senses. I was glad I went. I appreciated at least three things: creation, contemplation, and community.
Creation
God speaks to us through two books. First, He speaks to us through the Bible. This is the authoritative, objective, divine communication. But He also speaks to us through His creation. These two “books” are mentioned in Psalm 19. Evangelicals have been very clear about learning about God through the Bible. But many of us have not been serious about learning about God through His creation. We think of creation as being spoilt by sin and end up not paying any attention to it. But not everything in creation is spoilt. This pilgrimage helped me appreciate creation afresh. The surrounding seas reminded me of the vastness of God, and that the problems of the world, and my own problems, serious as they may be, were small in comparison with the largeness of God. And the puffins — yes, the Lord has a sense of humour.
Contemplation
My approach to spirituality is cerebral, reading and thinking, and communal, in conversations with His saints. One thing I noticed about Iona was the silence. I found it strangely addictive. There was also one day given to silence when from morning communion service till dinner we were not to talk to each other. I can’t remember when was the last time I did this. I found myself looking forward to the day of silence and, like many, wishing we had more such times. Away from the usual noise and rush of our days, I could focus on the Lord and what He might be saying to me. Nothing dramatic happened but I was reminded of two areas of my life that I needed to work on. Jotted them down in my journal. And I think I received a bit more clarity as to what the Lord wants me to do at this stage of my life. The visits to Iona Abbey were also special, a reminder of the many who had sought God through the ages.
Community
Friends will not be surprised that the part of the journey that I enjoyed the most was the many conversations I had with my fellow travellers. At the top of the list was the joy of being with Bernice. I also got to know some of the group a bit better. For many, we had not gone beyond snatches of conversations when we bumped into each other. But when you are together for almost two weeks, thrown together in buses, ferries, and train coaches, and sharing meals, you get to connect much more meaningfully. Then there were the more intimate quiet one-on-one chats. There was so much trust and kindness. We shared where we were in our personal pilgrimages. We listened and encouraged. We are now bonded together in ways that would not have happened if we didn’t go on this adventure together. Seeking God in the company of friends — a microcosm of the Christian life.
There is so much more I could share about our trip to Iona. A special thanks to Stanley Tay, a dear friend, who put together the trip and guided us on the journey. There was so much work involved. Stanley had encountered God and wanted so much for us to encounter God afresh too. And what did the Lord tell me about what my 70s and beyond are to look like? I have always been asking Him what He would have me do going forward. His reply has been: “Why are you so focused on what you are to do? I just want you to draw close to Me.” This time I received something more. Instead of telling me what I should be doing, He told me who I should be. Details? That’s a story for another time.