Knowing Yourself – 19 July 2006

For many the North east of England conjures up pictures of ugly industrialised areas, coal mines and steel works. In fact Northumberland is one of the most beautiful counties in England with wonderful castles and glorious sandy beaches. When “you’ve gone about as far as you can go” * in England you come to Lindisfarne – a rather bleak, inaccessible island off the coast of Northumberland, connected by a causeway which is flooded by the tide twice a day.

 

This unlikely island was a cradle of Christianity, from here much of the British Isles were evangelised, hence its other name – Holy Island. Throughout the centuries it has been seen as a holy place and one of the centres of Celtic Spirituality – the particular expression of Christianity developed by the Celts. 

 

I shall be spending a week on retreat on this island to learn about Celtic Spirituality, but more importantly to learn about myself. A song I vaguely remember has the line “you know me better than I know myself”.   It will be a time of reflection and self-examination, to know myself as God knows me – seeking forgiveness, wholeness and purity. 

 

The writer of the Psalms wrote:

Psalm 139:23 (NIV)

 

God knows the secrets of our hearts – how well do you know yourself?