The concept of thin places comes from Celtic mythology. Peter Gomes, a Harvard theologian, writes: (photo by Sarah Blanton)
“There is in Celtic mythology the notion of 'thin places' in the universe where the visible and the invisible world come into their closest proximity. To seek such places is the vocation of the wise and the good — and for those that find them, the clearest communication between the temporal and eternal. Mountains and rivers are particularly favored as thin places marking invariably as they do, the horizontal and perpendicular frontiers. But perhaps the ultimate of these thin places in the human condition are the experiences people are likely to have as they encounter suffering, joy, and mystery.
Since nature is my touchstone for the sense of spirit and transformative beauty, I have experienced these places where the veil between myself and the non physical world of spirit is very thin. It is those places where your breathe is taken away and you know you are in the presence of something larger than yourself. One of those places was on the very distance isle of Iona in Scotland.
In the midst of all the upheaval around us I hope we can all at least close our eyes in meditation and take ourselves to these places imprinted on our memories. Better yet, go to one of those places and let its gift of beauty
transform you in the moment. Namaste Ginger
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