Living in Community I: God in Community holy and one

One of the things that draws me back to volunteer on Iona is the privilege of living and working with so many amazing young people. Granted I teach predominantly young adults, but they are quite different than the young folks I encounter on Iona. First, these are folks who are confident enough or brave enough to make a long, strange journey to this place often without the accompaniment of a supportive other. Many with NO understanding that if you take THIS ferry you will JUST make this bus which connects with the next ferry. That alone makes the journey an act of faith. Secondly, many also come do not have English as a first language and actually come here to hone their language skills. Finally, they are genuinely well educated or are becoming educated. As one of my young friends said “Iona has become the finishing family school for the children in my family.”
All that being said it also means that I will live in dormitory style accommodation for an extended period of time with 14 other people. Four are over 50, most are between 20 and 25 with a couple of 18 and 19 year olds. And sometimes– not often– those ages collide. And we have to learn how to navigate the treacherous waters of living together, eating together, sharing shower rooms and toilets, and playing together.
The last tin we say each day at morning service is “God in community, Holy and one. I thought you might enjoy a peek into how that becomes a thin place.