The Wisdom of Iona

Our week at Iona Abbey turned out to be a true family pilgrimage, my only regret was that in arriving on a Saturday evening and departing on the next Friday morning the week seemed oh so short. We were in community at the Abbey with other weeklong residents as well as the volunteer and full time staff, who all hailed from many corners of the planet. We arrived and left in a drizzle, yet for the most part we had great weather. The worship experiences in the Abbey church were awe-inspiring. The words of the liturgies were simple, yet profound and challenging. The acoustics of the Abbey were phenomenal. My soul found many occasions to soar in the midst of our songs, which were so beautiful and simple to sing as well.

The breathtaking views, which changed with the ever-changing light, were phenomenal. Susan and I both agreed that the pictures that we had seen beforehand pale in comparison to the experience of being on this lovely little isle. Here in this place God reveals herself in splendor.

Along with the pictures, I include a poetic reflection on something that I learned about community this week.

The Wisdom of Iona
From near and far she called us to live together in community, walking in the footsteps of ancient monks.
Our ideal vision for the week of community resounded with words like honesty, non-judgmental, joyful, diversity, respectful, a place to be your true self, and fun.
Then, one small voice added another word into the mix of these glad tidings…”sad.”

At first it seemed so out of place,
flowing against the tide that brought us all to this sweet place.
But the more I turned it over in my mind, the more awed I was of her profound wisdom.

True community must willingly embrace its sadness…
The sadness from the wounds we all carry inside
The sadness of walls erected between peoples
The sadness of broken creation
The sadness of inevitable goodbyes

Our wise one led us in the practice of communal sadness
with the look in her eyes as she hugged her friend Jenny goodbye,
and in the simple words of her announcement at our final evening meal, “I will miss you.”

Without sadness, true community cannot exist. Such profound insights often remain hidden to souls many decades old.

Ah Iona, what a wonder to be so wise

at the tender age of five.

Ben & Iona