There is in Celtic mythology the notion of ‘thin places’ in the universe, where the visible and invisible world come into their closest proximity. To seek such places is the vocation of the wise and good, and those who find them find the clearest communication between the temporal and the eternal. Monasteries and holy places were meant to be founded at such spots to increase the likelihood of a transcendental communication. These thin places were threshold places, from the Latin limen, which can mean a border or frontier place where two worlds meet and where one has the possibility of communicating with the other.
-Peter Gomes from The Good Book
Do you have a thin space in your world?
A place, a type of place, where everything just seems… better. Calm. Paused, for a moment, in a hectic world.
I write this from the viewing platform at the top of the spire of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, where I accidentally went to mass this morning. Wandering and sightseeing I walked into the cathedral as a tourist and became a celebrant because – oh right, it’s Sunday.
I’m not Catholic, not even Christian, but in these special places and with these ceremonies, for me, that doesn’t matter. There’s a spirit here that transcends religions and connects with the eternal.
My boat had the choice to go on a tour this morning, but I chose to wander. Because in wandering I find these unpredictable moments, and in those moments, I find my soul.
It’s so hard to put that feeling into words, but try something for me. Close your eyes, and take three deep breaths.
1…
2…
3…
That peace… that’s a little of what I feel right now.
Tolkien wrote “Not all who wander are lost” (The Fellowship of the Ring).
And in fact, it’s in wandering that I am found.
Where do you find yourself? I would love to know where your thin places are. See if you can make time to visit one in the next few days and report back on your discoveries…. 🙂