sabbatical 2019 - Iona 2

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Our last full day in Iona. We hiked 2 miles to the Southern end of the island, stopping several times to reflect and read scripture and interact with the sheep and cows! The back end of the island has now a 9 hole golf course, that happens to be on the open land that tradition has left available for anyone to use as grazing for their animals. Since way back this part of the island has been left unownwed so anyone can use it when needed - A wonderful communal idea, placing the needs of the community above the needs of the individual. We hiked the trail to St. Columba's Bay where he landed after setting sail from Ireland in 563 A.D. Even though he would have see this lush green pasture first, he persevered to see the rest of the island and decided to establish the Abbey on the North end. I wonder - was he in sandals walking over these hills where we were using hiking boots on an established path? Also a marble quarry was near this site, from where stone would have been hauled across the 3 mile long island. We saw a geologic marvel - a huge granite boulder sitting atop the natural sandstone of the beach. Apparently it was deposited here millions of years ago with glacier movement picked up from the Isle of Mull - many miles away. The Iona sandstone is 400 million years older than the 800 million year old granite - old enough that there are no fossils on this island because no organic life was developed yet here! This is ancient stuff!!!

We finished our walk today with cows apparently thinking we were their shepherds bringing them into the barn at the end of the day! Or were they wanting to play golf! - sniffing the flag at the pin on the green!

At St. Columba's Bay, where we picniced, our reading guide suggested we take a stone and think of a part of our life that needs cleansing or renewing and throw the representative stone into the ocean without looking back. And pick up another pretty stone and think about a pleasant thought or new direction to take with us on the rest of the pilgrimage with the stone. A very useful spiritual application.

We join Ben and Jeremy tomorrow in Edinborough - yeah!!! Though our Iona time has been remarkably rich and spiritually fulfilling.

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