Becoming

And now Lord, and with your help, I shall become myself. —Soren Kierkegaard

A part of my pilgrimage is walking. Apart of it is to spent time alone in quiet; with myself; by myself. This slowing has been such rich nourishment— the very food and water I have needed. The way is made by walking… and for me, the more I am walking, the more in me, gets worked out. This is pilgrimage.

In these times, I do not read. But I am being read. A thought… a word… a phrase becomes an invitation to look at with interest and curiosity. I am read by the word or phrase or quote— perhaps a verse.

Early this morning, this quote became my daily bread:

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"My whole spiritual life consists more and more in abandoning myself (actively) to the presence and action of God.

To be in communion with Becoming has become the formula of my whole life."b

(Letter To Claude Aragonnes,

19 May 1941)

Teilhard de Chardin

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How is it that I am still becoming? … That after all these years, the residue long lodged by in my heart is now more fully recognized, confessed, forgiven and feeling the freedom that is now taking up residency with me?

My toxic faith of my early beginnings… the residue from all of that… has been rising up in me while here. Like cellular layers of a thick sludge, I have needed space and time and the Great Celtic cathedral of earth, sky and sea to do this work.

I took a very long hike yesterday. Almost eight miles of walking the edges of this holy isle.

(St Columba’s Bay on Iona)

As I walked , I wondered if there might be short cuts — a way to get “here” faster? I found myself lamenting, why has it taken so long to stand on the shore called freedom— on the edges of becoming and recognize my freedom?

My walking companion yesterday was a 42 year old soul. I asked them, “Do you think Iona is your short-cut to arrive at your self now?” I was a bit envious that at 42, they could be here doing similar work as me. I wanted to get here sooner… but I did not. It sometimes, takes a long time, to become ourselves.

In my current versionI wanted to know if their pilgrimage really might be exactly what they needed for a breakthrough. Without any hesitancy, they said emphatically, “YES! “

I wrote this poem to help work this “stuff” out of me. It may make no sense to you… my poem… but it gave me clarity to work it out, line by line and verse after verse.

The images here are ones I took. Such spaces here on Iona invite people all over the world to pilgrim here in search of something… to become.