What is in a namesake?

Many years ago, Mum cross-stitched two pictures for Jacki and I.  Each of the pictures had our given names and then a description of what our names meant along with a biblical quote.  Apparently my name means “peacemaker” – with the quote from Jesus’ sermon on the mount, Blessed are the peacemakers …”

I also know of for a fact that the name “Malcolm” is a Latinized spelling of the Gaelic name “Maolcholm” which means “disciple of St Columba”   St. Columba is one of three patron saints of Ireland  (St Patrick and St Brigid being the other two.)  Columba’s name in Gaelic is spelled “Cholm Cille” which means dove.  So I guess that the connection between the visual image of a dove bearing an olive branch is where the connection between my name being a “peacemaker.”

St Columba wasn’t much of a peacemaker. In fact as the story goes he grew up in what today we call Northern Ireland in the Garten Lake area.  He lived in the sixth century and entered into monastic living.  The story is told that Columba  had a disagreement with one of his higher up when he completed a transcription of a biblical book which he understood he could keep but his higher-up decided that he couldn’t.  A battle ensued involving the deaths of many Christians all over a manuscript.  When the battle was done, Columba was sentenced to bansishment from Ireland and as his penance, he agreed to go to Scotland and there he would strive for the conversion of at least as many to replace those who died in the battle.  As it turns out, Columba accomplished that an more.  He is considered a great evangelist of Celtic Christianity in the West Coast of Scotland and northern England. 

The area of Northern Ireland and Scotland are full of stories of the life of St Columba.  He is revered by both countries and today there are holy shrines in honor of his service in the name of Jesus Christ.  You know, I don’t think that when my parents chose my name to be Malcolm they had the intention of naming me after St. Columba (truer the story be that I was name in sucession of a number of other boys whose names begin with “M.”)  But I do have to say that I am intrigued about this man who served faithfully and in whose name I bear. So as Jacki and I were considering opportunities to visit Ireland, I discovered a great opportunity to take a pilgrimage in the footsteps of St Columba.  Our trip will begin in early September as we fly into Dublin and start our trip visiting the sites of St Columba in Northern Ireland.  We will visit also County Down which is the ancestral land of my father’s family “Stranaghan” and seek to find some missing holes in our genealogy records.  From Ireland we will fly to Scotland and there visit Iona, St Columba visited and established the first monastery on the island.  After that we hope to head down to England and visit friends and my mother’s family.   Here is a brief plan on our trip...
     02-Sep, Sun          Fly to Ireland, Dublin
     03-Sep, Mon         Arrive Ireland … Head to Gleann Cholm Cille Donegal Town
     04-Sep, Tue         Tory and Tullaghobegley
     05-Sep, Wed         Gartan
     06-Sep, Thurs       Giants Causeway. Derry
     07-Sep, Fri           Derry (St Columba is the Patron Saint of Derry)
     08-Sep, Sat          County Downs Area/Belfast
     09-Sep, Sun          Flight from Dublin to Glasgow Prestwick and then to Oban
     10-12 Sep, M-W    Iona
     12-14 Sep, W-Th   Harrogate
     14-17 Sep,Th-M   Family in England
     17-Sep, Mon         Luton Airport to Dublin
     18-Sep, Tue         Dublin to Home
That is our trip in a nutshell, I’m not sure what sort of internet connectivity I will have while traveling abroad, need to talk to T-mobile about that.  We are looking at staying in some of the hostels in Northern Ireland and also on Iona.  Got to firm that up this coming week.

It isn’t often that we have the opportunity to “head back to the motherland” and learn more about where our family comes from.  I’m looking forward to seeing the lay of the land of County Downs and I am really excited about walking in the footsteps of my namesake – I’ve heard great and wonderful things about Iona, and it will be good to reconnect with friends and my mother’s family. I think it will be a major highlight of this Sabbath leave. 

On another note, I’ve not had too many opportunities to really get in touch with the church beyond the walls.  I am reading the book, “Beyond the Church” It is a good read and the author’s writing style is quite funny with a serious message.  Much of his focus is getting church communities to see themselves and other churches as “the church” and not to see things as much as a competition. 

Jacki and I participated in Backpack Sunday at Catonsville UMC.  Backpack Sunday, is an opportunity for members of the church to fill a backpack for a child in the local school system.  They have been doing this for several years but this year they were thrown a curve ball when Baltimore County Schools wouldn’t provide a list of children with needs.  So they improvised by calling the local schools in their community and asked them if they would like to receive backpacks filled with supplies for children who might not have the ability to purchase them…. Oh, and they did this with three days to spare before the Sunday of handing out the backpacks.  On that Sunday, we receive a backpack and a list of supplies needed.  Oh my it has been a while since Jacki and I bought supplies for a kindergartener.  It was fun. 



Finally, for those who have been following news about my father.  Dad had surgery on Tuesday morning to reconstruct his ankle and foot which has been deformed from a failed surgery from three years ago.  There was a lot of prep work and visiting doctors and labs for which I was the logical son to take Dad about as I was on leave during this time.  Dad surgery was over five hours long and I spent the day waiting and then overnight to make sure Dad was okay.  Dad’s surgery went marvelously well his foot is realigned and now under his leg.  Unfortunately he has had a bit of a set back by getting an infection (not in his foot) that has lead to a lot of confusion, not uncommon in elderly folks.  I’ve spent every day, except today,  at hospital this past week while my brothers had taken over the overnight with Dad.  Dad is now at Kernan’s-a wonderful rehab unit—that will really work him over hard until he has the strength to return home, that is once the confused state is over.  Prayers always appreciated, for Dad and also for me feeling guilty about not getting more done with my secondary focus of studying the church beyond the walls...

A personal note, my exercise is going well for the most part, I made a new time today  at 38:12, which I won't complain about...