We arrived safely to Iona by ferry Thursday evening.  It was sunny and sparkling - absolutely beautiful!  Everyone is telling us not to get too used to this kind of weather though.  They say that more often it is rainy, cold, and windy. But regardless of what is to come, it has been a spectacular welcome!

The tourist season is just getting started but already the ferry was packed with visitors. The islanders seem to have sort of a love/hate relationship with the tourists.  They depend on them economically, but often find the intrusion into their idyllic home difficult. Many people come for a pretty boat ride, to eat excellent seafood, and shop for souvenirs, without appreciating the spiritual significance of this special place. There are others, however, who truly do find Iona to be holy ground, one of those "thin places," where the barriers that separate us from God dissolve and we experience the sacred in profound ways.