II Kings 2:1-14

Elijah kept telling his protege Elisha to “stay here” but Elisha refused, following his mentor to Gilgal, then Bethel, and Jericho, and finally to “Beyond the Jordan.”  That is where Elijah ascended into the whirlwinds of heaven and Elisha was left alone to being his own ministry.

I am not sure where “Beyond the Jordan” is, but I am told it is beyond our comfort zone, beyond boundaries, beyond what we think is as far as we should go.  I tried to follow it on the map a few weeks ago and found myself in Iona, a small island off the southwest coast of Scotland.

Iona has been a world pilgrimage site for centuries.  No wonder.  It is a “thin place” where the distance between heaven and earth is paper thin.  Its 14th century abbey anchors an island filled with sheep and farms.  It is a center of Celtic Christianity that is all about peace and justice and creation care.  It is a place I think all should have the privilege to experience.  I, and the seven others from the church who went with me, will be talking about Iona in the coming weeks.  “Beyond the Jordan” was an amazing place to be and I can’t wait to share it with you.