I have always enjoyed the slightly eccentric writings of Alsitair Moffat, so I always greet the publication of a new book with some anticipation. A kind relative gave the latest, “To the Island of Tides – a journey to Lindisfarne” to me as a gift at Christmas, and I was very glad when it came to the top of my reading pile.
I am no Christian, but sainthood and how it was achieved interests me very much…while walking in the shadow of Cuthbert and trying to understand his faith and the extreme lengths he went to in pursuit of piety and purity of thought and deed, I would also think about my own life. The contrast between his asceticism and beliefs and my lack of either could not have been more stark, but I hoped very much that I might learn something from Cuthbert.
from the Author’s note
The subject matter of the book, Lindisfarne and the Life of St Cuthbert was of instant interest…having worked on the island for a number of years, and spent time on retreat there more than a few times it is a place I know and love. I had not realised until I started to read that the book was also closely linked to the life and geography of St Cuthbert; I’ve also led a few pilgrimages along St Cuthbert’s Way for the Northumbria Community, as well as walking sections for my own enjoyment, and read widely from the sources and beyond about Cuthbert’s life, not to mention a few visits to Durham cathedral.
This is not, however, simply a historical travelogue. It is the pilgrim journey of someone with no religious faith searching for some answers and peace of mind as his 70th birthday rapidly approaches (I can identify with that!)…the unresolved conflicts, the joy and pain of a life lived is something I guess we all think more about as we age.
In his normal style, Moffat speculates and investigates places Cuthbert might have visited…some of them not the sites traditionally associated with the saint, but Moffat, with his interest in place names and the geography of the past, makes a convincing case. The climax of the walk is a few days spent in ‘retreat’ on Holy Island itself, with all its tensions of sacred space and living community, place of solitude and tourist trap, which, as someone who worked on the island for a number of years I truly identify with (and I can endorse his recommendation of ‘Pilgrim’s’ coffee shop…best coffee in this area!)
For me, it was a book to be read with a map open at my side, and I have already traced some of Moffat’s steps myself.
Did the pilgrim journey bring the peace and resolution Moffat desired? You need to read the book!
Pilgrim Traveller 