I’m privileged to remain friends with many students through the years and often with their parents, too. I’ve visited some and been an extended part of their families enjoying their nations as a non-tourist. Sometimes I’ve visited more than once. It was a joy to return to Scotland and have one friend say, “I remember years ago you said you’d love to visit St. Columba’s abbey on Iona” (just past the Isle of Mull). She had planned the day and bought ferry tickets. Soft rain didn’t dampen our spirits. We passed islands with castles and countless sheep before reaching Iona. The active abbey is well-maintained. Its museum explains history. But my standout memory is of the cave-like cell where Columba lived and began hand copying all four Gospels into the Book of Kells.
The scriptures were so precious, he and other monks enriched them with fanciful illuminations of colored birds, animals, faces and figures entwined with the letters. Their vivid colors were achieved through using silver and gold leaf and even ground jewels. When Vikings began ransacking monasteries, the book was whisked to Dublin for safekeeping where viewers stand in line to see it in the Trinity University Library. I have—it’s wonderful.
But on that gray day in Iona when Dianne and I peeked into Columba’s cell, there was no sunlight or artificial light, yet it gleamed with an unearthly presence. I took a picture without camera flash and yet the special light is evident.
We viewed it again before leaving Iona, and the special light was gone. All was gray and ordinary, but we won’t forgot what we saw and have in my photo.
Imagine viewing beautifully hand-copied Gospels preserved since before 800 A.D. The intricate work indicates the priceless value put on the work. Artisans reproduce parts of the Book of Kells in souvenirs. On one fast catamaran ferry crossing from Wales to Ireland, I bought a silk scarf with images from the book combining writing and art in magnificent forms.
Good writing still lasts. Maybe its endurance depends on how much truth it contains. That’s a reminder to us who wait on inspiration to write. Maybe in 2025 and beyond that principle applies to all of work and life.
What’s your favorite piece of writing. Why? What would you like to see written that doesn’t exist yet? Are you the one meant to do it? Welcome to 2025. Take a deep breath and plunge right in.
Until next time,
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