Till travelling days begin

Walking in Aidan's footsteps

'The horizon shrinks as you walk backwards from it, and the horizon expands as you walk towards it.' (Shane O'Mara, In Praise of Walking, pg75)

There is something so rewarding about walking, which we learn from childhood and those first early steps of freedom. It is to do with the idea of 'expansion flow' - how forward movement expands our horizons. Seeking to lay hold of the future is one of the main reasons we learn to walk facing forwards. This forward-facing attitude also speaks about the Way of faith. 

One of my favourite verses in all of Scripture is found in the apostle Paul's joyful letter to the Philippians. Here is his most horizon-expanding approach: 'Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 3.13-14)

In the coming days, I will be walking in the footsteps of St Aidan (590-651). His horizons expanded as he travelled (by foot on an unknown route) from Iona, off the west coast of Scotland to Lindisfarne, in the north eastern tip of Northumbria. Straining forward, this Irish-born follower of Christ brought a new joyful and hope-filled way of life to the people of the North East. He walked everywhere, refusing horseback alternatives. And he would daily recite the psalms as he walked.

From July 31st to August 31st (which is the Feast Day of St Aidan), I hope to walk more than 300 miles between the two holy islands. I have set myself the challenge of learning the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) off by heart! These are known as Pilgrim Psalms, recited by those who pilgrimed to Jerusalem for major feasts - psalms which Jesus would have known off by heart too.

I hope to blog from time to time with thoughts and photos of the landscape (as my phone signals and internet allow). As I strain forward, letting go of what went before, walking towards the rising sun each day, I look forward to sharing what I am learning. Please feel free to add your comments and share your insights.