"Remember, You are Dust, and to Dust You Shall Return"

What the Celtic Christian Perspective Has Taught Me, Part 3

In 2001, I moved to Wyoming to participate in a seminary program. Having lived in the Midwest all my life, the change of scenery was fascinating. I remember driving toward a mountain across a vast stretch of flat land. I literally drove for over an hour, and it didn't seem as though I had moved at all. The mountain had barely changed in size. The experience was absolutely bizarre.

The mountains were beautiful, and I did enjoy looking at them. But when I got into the mountainous area it felt odd to me. Almost claustrophobic. 

You see, in the Midwest, I was used to large stretches of land that I could see across relatively easily. Cornfields, bean fields, and pastures were all over the place. It was very open and very green. The horizon was horizontal. So, when I found myself immersed in the mountains, I felt boxed in.

On my drive back from the West to the Midwest in 2002, the wind rushed through the vehicle. In a very short window of time during the trip, I experience an identifiable shift. I could literally smell the difference in the air. I could see the green all around me. I felt as though I had just come home.

That was the first time I truly had an experience of rootedness in a place. I felt connected somehow to the land. And for me, that has turned into what seems to be a “call to place”.

That experience helped me to appreciate the Celtic connection to the land.