“Hinba” is Scotland’s very own spiritual Atlantis. Saint Columba, stressed out with the buzz and busyness that was monastic life on Iona would take himself off to the sacred isle of Hinba, there to commune with the Lord. Did I mention this often meant standing waist-deep in the freezing waters of the Atlantic with hands raised in prayer and praise? Irish missionaries were made of strong stuff.
Hinba is thought to be Jura, Colonsay, or Oronsay, with Seil and a 21st century Glasgow speciality coffee roasters also putting in their claim. You make your choice. Whatever disputed geographical location is correct the spiritual significance of Hinba to the stressed-out saint remains unchallenged. For Columba Hinba was his go-to spiritual well of renewal where heaven and earth drew close and where he was restored in God’s empowering presence.
Anne and I have enjoyed a space and place for our very own Hinba these last three months (some of it not too far from Columba’s). Sabbatical time has been a precious gift for which we want to say a massive “thank you”. We so appreciate the generous gifts of money and time that made it possible and, not least, the gift of overtime working that our leadership team and staff have given. Big shout out especially to Brodie for covering my role and his own so well for three months!
No doubt we will share our adventures and encounters over the next few months. I don’t want to use everything up in one blog! Suffice to say we feel rested, refreshed, and ready for what’s next.
On Sunday we will be digging into the great prayer for the Ephesians (and us) in Ephesians 3:14-21. At its heart, this prayer invites Holy Spirit to strengthen us by filling our lives with Jesus. I imagine that many of us have a “fill up and drive” approach to our spiritual health. A Sunday service or special event becomes a filling station that tops us up preparing us for the slow drip and drain of our spiritual vitality through the week. That’s a necessary rhythm to have, but I think God has more for us.
Over these months I have been seeking to be more alert to God’s renewing presence and to attend to what He might be saying in my daily routine. Ken Shigamatsu’s “God in my Everything” is a really helpful book that suggests some accessible “sacred rhythms” to weave into our regular routines so that we might walk with the Spirit in our day-to-day lives. Tish Harrison Warren’s “Liturgy of the Ordinary” is another great entry point.
Shigamatsu says:
”What if there was a way to enjoy God, not only as you sit in quiet contemplation but as you move about your day? What if you could weave friendship with Christ into the fabric of everything you do without leaving your world?”
His answer?
There is. Not in a rigid conformity to a strict routine but as we build spaces to catch our spiritual breath and times for our bodies to recover and relationships to enlarge. Times when we stop skimming over the surface of our lives in order to be present with the One who is always present to us: to be filled with the Spirit, to re-centre on Jesus, and to listen to the Father’s voice. Moments when we ask for a word to encourage someone, times when we take time to be curious and interested in someone else’s situation or to stop to pray for someone who needs a breakthrough. Little islands of Hinba in the currents of life.
I am seeking Hinba, not on some wild Atlantic shoreline but in a moment snatched to breathe in the Holy Spirit, to reset my soul, and remember I am more than a human-doing.
In fact, in Christ, we are not mere mortals but supernatural creatures, partakers of the divine nature, equipped for divine connection. We have been made alive in Christ to live in a whole new world we cannot inhabit unless we are born anew in him. It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to live life in this spiritual dimension.
Michael Green says
“The Holy Spirit comes upon Christians to create in us a life that would otherwise be beyond our powers.
How wonderful that what is impossible for us is possible in the Holy Spirit: lives lived with hearts open to heaven and eyes aware of the true heavenly reality.
It is said that Hinba opened Columba’s eyes afresh to the spiritual realms. He was regularly visited by angels and saw the true reality of a world that is sacred. The creation around him was infused with God only the Holy Spirit opened eyes could see.
Are you seeking Hinba?
How my life and yours would be enriched and empowered if we too found “Hinba” day by day in our kitchens and offices, cars and classrooms.
Iain