Having missed a day because of an internet problem in Glasgow, I am getting ready for the journey to Iona.
It's a "journey" because getting to Iona is more of a challenge than going to other places. First, a cab. Then a ferry to Mull Island where we take a cab across the island (50 minutes) to another ferry that brings us to the island where we will be met by people who will assist us in getting our gear over to St. Columba's hotel.
But it's also a journey because of the spiritual character of the visit to this island which has been a Christian holy place since the 563 A.D. when St. Columba came from Ireland to establish a monastery there. It became a center for learning and a place where some highly important documents were produced including, possibly, the illuminated manuscript collection of the four gospels called the Book of Kells was started around 800 A.D.
I have been told that the journey is even more significant than its historic roots imply because it is also a place where the prayers of Christians have been lifted up continually for centuries, embracing and enfolding many who have come to spend time as part of the ecumenical community that lives there.
I am learning about Celtic Christianity, a way of living in communion with God and God's creation that joins them together rather than separating them as many Christians do.
Our visit to Glasgow included a visit to Glasgow Cathedral, a beautiful ancient building which was built based on the story of Saint Mungo. It survived the iconoclastic efforts of Scottish reformers of the 16th century, and it includes features that characterize cathedrals of the early Middle Ages. It is no longer technically a "cathedral" because it is a Presbyterian Church, and Presbyterians do not have bishops.
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