Ruth Harvey, Leader of the Iona Community, shares reflections from a special New Members Week at Iona Abbey and Camas Centre on Mull
The waves danced and the harebells fluttered as we pilgrimaged together to Camas earlier this week. Thirty-four of us connected with the New Members programme are here at Iona Abbey for our spring residential. ‘How good and how lovely it is, to live together in Community.
Our time on Iona began, on Sunday morning, with the welcome and blessing of Theodore Nieboer, son of Evie and Paul. What a joy to welcome such a child into the midst of God’s new Community of Hope, particularly in our world so marred with war, displacement and uncertainty. Along with blessings, we shared common tasks, conversation, concerts and worship, and have been hosted so generously by the staff and volunteers who daily model that radical, costly hospitality to which we all are called.
Our Tuesday pilgrimage took us to Camas, to stand in solidarity with all the thousands of young people who have walked ‘down the track.’ For so many people, and young people in particular, this walk across the bog has been the start of a journey of transformation in community.
Our first stop was at the home of Jan Sutch Pickard, Member now resident in Fionnphort, where we clustered around her doorway to listen to stories about ‘feet on the ground’ spirituality on the Ross of Mull and Iona. Jan’s spirit of hospitality, passion for peace with justice, and commitment to the common life of the Iona Community rang in our ears as we set off on the path to Pottie.
Next stop, the junction with the main road across Mull from where we continued our pilgrimage in single file silence, listening to the larks, reveling in the sunshine. As we set off down the track, we heard words of past Camas guests from Down The Track speaking for so many who have had life-transforming experiences there:
“Camas is brilliant. I keep coming back. It’s good to get away from city life and be by the water. Nae big tall buildings, nae pollution.”
“Camas is a safe place where we can be free. No one carries knives – you don’t have to be on your guard all the time. People treat us with respect. I can relax and have a laugh.’
What is your Camas story?
How will your story be woven into the very common life of the Camas centre, as the future unfolds?
Each one of us has a unique opportunity now to be part of that story, to become a Camas Companion. For some of us this will be an easy step to take. For others, being asked to give in times of economic strain will be tough. For those who are able, may I ask that you dig deep and offer generously to this remarkable ministry of radical hospitality at Camas, for 2027 and beyond.
Image credits: Iona Community/ K. Schmid, R. Harvey and W. Lloyd
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