St. Columba and the Undine

On Iona

An Isle of dream and mystical being

St. Columba met an undine one day

As she appears crystal clear and then fading away

On and on as the spray of each wave

Breaks upon her form.

St. Columba says to her,

I know of angels

For many visit me

Whenever I meditate

But of beings such as your self

I have no learning, no education, no knowledge

Tell me then, spirit of water and sea,

What is your essence

And the nature of your innermost being?

The undine replies as she gazes into his eyes,

The essence of my race

Is a love that flows without ever being lost

And gives all of itself in every moment.

St. Columba replies,

I do not know

If undines have souls

But the words you speak

Are ever so sweet

If such love flowed through me

I would be beyond human need,

My loneliness and anguish would dissolve.

On my journey to seek God’s face

I see there is a place

For your words and beauty

To dissolve the dark within my heart.

And from that day

St. Columba saw that the sea

Contained a great mystery

And that nature itself

Is part of God’s teachings.