Thin Places: Today’s Celtic Spirituality

My friend Kenny and I get to hang out pretty often (The story behind our first meeting is pretty amazing: read about it here).  It is usually a random gathering as I see him sitting up against his favorite telephone pole as I walk to my favorite coffee shop.  Sometimes I act busy and just say hello, ask a few questions and keep walking to the coffee shop.  Other days, I slow down, sit up against the garage door next to his telephone pole and have some quality conversation. Kenny is brilliant and always remembers the content of our previous conversations, so it’s not hard to get into some meaningful dialog.

I don’t know where Kenny sleeps at night (he makes it clear that he doesn’t tell anyone), but he sits at the base of the same tree every morning and at the base of the same telephone pole every afternoon.  He and I have an informal “book study” going on, but he usually just wants to share a couple stories and show me the best coupons in the local newspaper.

St. Columba was a Celtic Monk who while living on the island of Iona off of Scotland would climb to the top of a nearby hill and pray a blessing over his brothers and over the land.  He called it a “thin place,” meaning heaven and earth were only thinly separated. Further, he had visions of all being restored to God’s original order.

When I sit with Kenny, I experience a “thin place.” When I choose to see clearly, I can see the face of Jesus in his eyes and I hope he can see Jesus in mine.  I picture the day when his fractured reality is restored and he not only has a roof to keep him from the soaking rain, but when his inner being filled with the Spirit.

I hope to seek out “thin places” in my daily life.  It is less about location and more about being open to participate in the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom as inaugurated in Jesus. It is about living into God’s ultimate vision of restoration in my life and in all Creation.