Holy Island

“There are places I remember

All my life though some have changed”

-the Beatles, there are places I remember

In my life I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel many places. And I have been further blessed to see these places with people that I enjoy being with. Some of these places stand out more in my memory than others, some I hope to return to someday, others I don’t. One place that often comes to mind when I think of traveling or revisiting a place is Lindisfarne.

My Family on Lindisfarne some years ago.

 Lindisfarne is a small tidal island in Northumberland, England. It’s a beautiful place, and if I could encourage you to visit one place on this earth it would be there. I’ve been there only twice (I think) and both times I was quite young, but I can very clearly remember how much I enjoyed being there. Not only is it surrounded by beautiful landscapes, and home to the ruins of Lindisfarne Priory, which are stunning, but there is also a certain sense of calm and serenity there.

Now my parents may very well be laughing at that last statement about serenity, because once when we were there a wedding was being held at the Church and they played “You sexy thing” by Hot Chocolate on repeat for pretty much the entire night, so in that sense if might not have seemed serene in that instance. But there is still a peacefulness there, a sense of God’s presence. Perhaps that is why it is often referred to as Holy Island.

My sisters and I with a statue of St. Aidan.
Yet another reason I like Lindisfarne.

It’s hard for me to put into words why Lindisfarne is so special; I think it’s something you just have to experience. To stand in the ruins and be in awe of how stunning they are. Or to walk on the beach finding pieces of glass made smooth by the current of the ocean. To just look at the beauty that surrounds you and breathe in the fresh air.

God is everywhere and I know that if we try hard enough we can discern His voice no matter where we are. But in some places it is just easier to drown out the rest of the world and focus on Him. Lindisfarne is like that. To me, it truly is a Holy Island.

“And here we are

We have come this far

To say a prayer

On Lindisfarne”

- Iona, Lindisfarne