In the Celtic tradition, a “thin place” is that place or experience of the veil between this world and the spiritual world being thin, or near. To me, the ocean shoreline is symbolic of thin places. Two worlds meet there. Imagine the ocean as the spiritual realm and the land as the physical, material world. The water may come crashing onto the shore or it may gently roll in. In any case, we can see these two “worlds” meet, if only for a short moment, then the wave recedes and the shore quickly becomes dry again. In this video clip above, some of the seabirds, (like us), seem to prefer the dry land, some stay in the water, and still others seem to know that where the ocean and shore meet is where the greatest riches exist. I think there are moments or places of “thinness” that occur in life that are meant to offer us something — that is, the gift of Grace . . . like a wave that washes over us, leaving us with an obscured understanding of God’s love.

Prayer attributed to St. Aidan (d.651 CE):

“Leave me alone with God as much as may be.
As the tide draws the waters close in upon the shore,
Make me an island, set apart,
alone with you, God, holy to you.

Then with the turning of the tide
prepare me to carry your presence to the busy world beyond,
the world that rushes in on me
till the waters come again and fold me back to you.”