God Of The Uncharted Ways - A Virtual Pilgrimage 8/10

Welcome, Pilgrim, to the Cathedral of the Cliffs! Today, our pilgrimage brought us to a vibrant, wild Hebridean headland, a place teeming with the life of seabirds and seals. We explored the deep Celtic Christian sense of kinship with all creatures and reflected on what the "Second Book" of Creation teaches us about God’s intricate love and care.
---
Free sound effects and music from Pixabay

Transcript

Hello,

And welcome back to God of the Uncharted Ways.

Yesterday we sat in the poignant,

Prayer-filled silence of a ruined chapel.

Today,

On our eighth day,

Our pilgrimage brings us to a different kind of cathedral,

One overflowing with a wild and joyful liturgy sung by thousands of voices.

This sacred time together is an invitation to step away from our human-centered world,

To quiet our own agendas,

And to listen for the loving voice of God in the vibrant lives of our fellow creatures.

As a gentle reminder,

At the halfway point of your walk,

You'll hear a chime,

Your cue to turn for home if you're not walking aloof.

Now let us take a deep breath.

Let the rhythm of your steps settle your spirit,

And let's walk into this glorious celebration of life.

After reflecting on the legacy of human faith,

Today we turn our gaze to the non-human world.

Imagine we have walked out to a dramatic Hebridean headland,

A place of towering cliffs that plunge into a churning turquoise sea.

The air is alive with the sound and motion of thousands of seabirds,

And below us on the wave-washed rocks we can see the sleek,

Dark heads of seals.

Our focus today is observing the wild,

God's care for all creation.

We will immerse ourselves in the vibrant world of Hebridean wildlife,

Exploring the Celtic Christian sense of kinship with all creatures,

And listening for what nature teaches us about God's intricate,

Creative,

And boundless love.

As you begin your walk today,

Let your spirit be filled with the wild,

Joyful energy of this place.

This is a walk of joyous,

Wide-eyed wonder.

Imagine yourself on a narrow,

Grassy path,

High on a cliff's edge.

Feel the firm earth beneath your feet,

But also a thrilling sense of height and exposure.

The sea stretches out to the horizon on one side,

And the green and purple moorland on the other.

Walk with a sense of exhilaration and attentiveness.

Take a deep breath.

Imagine the air is so full of life you can almost taste it.

The salty tang of the sea.

The wild,

Fishy scent from the bird cliffs.

As you breathe,

Let the sheer,

Chaotic,

Joyful energy of this place fill you.

This is the vibrancy of God's creation in full display.

Exhale any sense of human self-importance.

Become a humble,

Grateful observer.

This is a day for observation.

Let your imagined senses feast on the details of this wild community.

Picture the dizzying spectacle.

See the gannets,

Brilliant white with golden heads,

Diving like arrows into the sea.

See the puffins with their comical,

Colorful beaks,

Bustling on the cliff edges.

See the sleek,

Dark heads of seals popping up in the waves below,

Their large,

Curious eyes watching you.

Notice the patterns of flight,

The social interactions,

The sheer diversity of form and function.

Immerse yourself in the wild orchestra,

The loud,

Guttural calls of the guillemots and razorbills,

The soaring cry of a gull,

The rhythmic crash of the waves against the rocks,

The deep,

Mournful song of the seals carrying on the wind.

This is not noise.

It's communication.

It's life.

It's a cause of praise.

Feel the power of the wind trying to push you off balance.

Feel the warmth of the sun when it breaks through the clouds.

Feel the awe,

The delight,

The simple joy that rises in your heart in the presence of such untamed,

Exuberant life.

Continue this walk of wonder for the next several moments,

Delighting in this incredible display of God's creative genius.

The early Celtic Christians possessed a remarkable and beautiful sense of kinship with the natural world.

They saw all of creation as participating in one great,

Interconnected family,

All held within the loving embrace of God.

This wasn't a sentimental view.

It was born of a close,

Daily observation and a deep theological understanding that the same God who created humanity in his image also delighted in the otter,

The wren,

The salmon,

And the seal.

The stories of their saints are filled with delightful and profound interactions with animals.

St.

Cuthbert was famously tended to by otters who would warm his feet after his long hours of prayer in the cold sea.

And St.

Columba himself had a deep connection with animals.

One of the most touching stories from his life tells of an old white horse that worked for the monastery on Iona.

As Columba neared the end of his life,

The horse came to him,

Laid his head on his breast,

And began to weep,

Sensing his master's impending departure.

Columba did not push the animal away,

But blessed it,

Recognizing its capacity for loyalty and affection.

These stories are more than charming folk tales.

They reveal a worldview where animals are not just resources to be used.

But fellow creatures to be respected,

Cared for,

And learned from.

They are part of God's covenant community.

This perspective challenges us deeply today.

We work from dominion to kinship.

The idea of humanity having dominion over the earth can be misunderstood as a license to exploit.

The Celtic view interprets it as a call to gentle,

Responsible care.

A stewardship born of kinship and love,

Reflecting God's own care for his world.

We learn lessons from our fellow creatures.

What can the animal world teach us about living?

The industry of the bee.

The joyful abandon of the soaring gannet.

The peaceful rest of the seal on a sun-warmed rock.

They teach us about living fully in the present moment,

And about trusting in God's provision.

Just as Jesus urged us when he said,

Look at the birds of the air.

They do not sow or reap or store away in barns.

And yet,

Your heavenly Father feeds them.

In a world where so many feel isolated,

Recognizing our place within the vast,

Intricate web of creation can be profoundly healing.

We are not alone.

We are part of a magnificent,

Diverse family of being.

All created and sustained by the same loving God.

As you continue your walk,

Let your heart swell with gratitude for this incredible community of creation.

Offer a silent blessing for the birds,

The seals,

The fish in the sea,

The small creatures in the grass at your feet.

Let's pray now with hearts full of praise for the Creator and all his creatures.

O God,

Our Creator,

Whose imagination is boundless,

Whose artistry is breathtaking,

And whose delight in life is poured out across the heavens and the earth,

We praise you.

We stand today on this wild cliff edge,

Our hearts overflowing with gratitude for the glorious spectacle of life you have set before us.

For the gannet,

A flash of white fire diving into the sea,

We thank you for your power and precision.

For the puffin,

With its jewel-like beak and bustling energy,

We thank you for your humor and your delight in the particular.

For the seal,

With its soulful eyes and graceful presence in the water,

We thank you for the mystery and beauty of our fellow mammals.

For the smallest creature in the grass and the largest whale in the deep,

For all the symphony of life,

We give you our joyful praise.

Forgive us,

Lord,

For the times we have seen ourselves as separate from or superior to the rest of your creation.

Heal our sense of disconnection.

Reawaken in us the spirit of St.

Columba,

Of St.

Cuthbert,

Of St.

Francis,

The spirit of kinship,

Of gentle stewardship,

And of respectful love for all that you have made.

Help us to see every creature as a thought of yours,

A word of your love made visible.

Teach us the lessons your creation offers daily,

Lessons of trust,

Of resilience,

Of community,

Of living fully in the present moment.

May our observation of the wild world lead us to a deeper worship of you,

The source of all life,

All beauty,

All goodness.

Grant us the grace to walk upon this earth,

Not as exploiters,

But as loving caretakers,

Not as masters,

But as humble members of the great and wondrous family of your creation.

Amen.

Once you're home and settled,

Here are some journaling questions you might like to work with.

In your imaginative walk today,

Which creature,

Seal,

Gannet,

Puffin,

Or another,

Captured your attention the most?

What did observing it stir in your heart about God,

Or about life?

How does our modern culture typically view the non-human world?

How does the Celtic sense of kinship with all creatures challenge or inspire you?

Jesus pointed to the birds of the air to teach about trust.

What is one lesson about trust,

Joy,

Resilience,

Or community that you can learn from observing an animal?

Whether real or imagined.

Tomorrow,

Our journey takes us to another iconic feature of the Hebridean coast,

A lighthouse.

From this high viewpoint,

We will reflect on gaining spiritual perspective in our lives,

And on Christ as our one,

True,

Unwavering light and guide.

And that brings our time to a close.

May you go in peace,

Held in the grace of the God who calls you out upon the waters.

I look forward to welcoming you back here again tomorrow.

In the meantime,

Rest in His presence.

Go with God and be blessed.