It seems that no one knows for certain where the phrase “thin
places” comes from but most agree that it is of Celtic origin and most likely
from Ireland. The phrase is used to describe those places where the boundary
between heaven and earth seems to be thinner than in other places. Therefore
when we encounter these thin places we get a powerful sense of inner peace with
very little effort on our part.
In my life I have encountered a number of thin places. Near
my childhood home there is a lovely waterfall which flows over a cliff to a
creek below. Climbing down the rugged cliff face you can feel the humidity
increase and the temperature lower. Once you are down next to the water you are
in another world. It is a world full of life and stillness and peace. For me,
this is a thin place where God seems truly present.
Other thin places I have visited seem to center around holy
sites. Some of the great cathedrals of England, or monasteries, or seminary
chapels have been thin places to me. In many of these places it has been as
though I entered a different world and can truly feel the prayers of those who
have sought the presence of God in that place.
Scripture is also ripe with descriptions of thin places.
Mount Saini, the Temple in Jerusalem, Peniel, where God wrestled with Jacob are
all examples of physical places where God chose to be present more than in
other places.
Now don’t get me wrong, I know that God can be present
anywhere, and can fill out hearts at any time and in any place. However, I
think that for those of us who have felt God’s presence every time we go to a
certain place we have a slight glimpse into what it must be like to be in the
world beyond ours where our Lord waits with his loving embrace. It is that
place where there is no barrier we all long for. Thanks be to God for giving us
a glimpse into it in from these places where God’s spirit seems to dwell.
