Thin Places
Last year the Dean of our church, Mother Liza, took a sabbatical meaning she took a leave of absence for spiritual growth. She and her partner had several destinations in their plans but the one that caught my attention was a little island off the northeast coast of England called Lindisfarne or “Holy Island.” She said that although there was little to do there and the sheep population far outnumbered people, it was a very special place. She referred to it as a “thin place.” When I asked what that meant she replied that it was thought to be where the boundary between our world and the spiritual world, the one we can only wonder about, is very thin. Almost transparent. Lindisfarne was thought to be one of those places and Mother Liza enjoyed being there for that reason. She said there wasn’t much to do there except “be quiet and soak in the presence of the saints.”Lindisfarne was the center of Celtic Christianity in England and has a written history preceding 600 AD. Another thin place is a tiny island off the western coast of Ireland called Iona. This island also has a history of religious significance. Both of these small islands have deep religious roots and while there, they claim it is sometimes possible to feel closer to our spiritual worlds.
Closer to home is a community called Lily Dale where many spiritualists and mediums take up residence in the summer months. Lily Dale is actually a small hamlet established in 1927 with a year round population of 275 and is considered by some to be the center of spiritualism. I don’t know if this is another thin place or not but I have been there and I can say that it has a different vibe. I noticed immediately that there was something unique about walking around that campus. Something that was unusual. Many people go to Lily Dale to consult with the mediums there, trying to contact relatives who have passed on. Some say it worked, others say it didn’t and I don’t know what to make of all that. I can only say that things felt differently there for me and I think Lily Dale is a pretty special place to visit.
Without traveling overseas or even an hour down the road, I have discovered some of my own thin places. I have called them places I go where I feel safe, but I think some of the safety is born of the thinly veiled environment I am in. These places seem to be easily penetrated by a presence I can feel but don’t always understand. Nor do I feel a presence every time I visit one of my thin places. I have learned though, that I don’t have to feel the presence to find peace. Sometimes just being there and breathing it in is enough.
My thin places are my church where I have so much history in such a short amount of time. The room where I receive massage therapy has proven to be especially thin. So thin that I sometimes envision nothing but a sheer curtain wafting on a gentle breeze that separates me from another spirit. I have received similar comfort and wonder in the small cottage where I receive my reiki and meditation practices. One of my new favorite places is the beautiful environment of Healing Waters, the yoga studio I attend. That is a very spiritual place where I hear many whispers from many directions. I wonder if these places are thin to me because of their structure and settings or if it’s because of the people and messages I find in them. I am happy to say it’s probably a combination of all of that.
Someday I would like to go to Scotland, Ireland and England and maybe I would venture to Lindisfarne or Iona. Something tells me I probably won’t though. I’ll leave that for others. I have plenty of thin places right here. Sometimes, it feels thin wherever I am.
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