In ancient Rome, a templum was a ritual space, a defined area (or the view of the sky) consecrated for observing omens through bird flight and lightning, which guided the augurs and was the origin of the word "temple".
On Wednesday of this week we launched our kayaks at Point Anne, a community on the Bay of Quinte. We were there at the Godly hour of 7:30 AM, so there were no other people on the water. There were plenty of critters though, particularly birds. We saw blue herons, ospreys, egrets and kingfishers, and lots of them.
We entered a little bay where there were turtles swimming and fish jumping, so we just sat for a few minutes in the relative solitude. I commented to Ruth that this was a "templum". There was a sense of the holy at this spot on the water, a defined space inviting us into prayer and contemplation. I've been in a lot of church structures through the years from tiny chapels to massive cathedrals and this was as meaningful a place as any of them.
As we continue to move through Creation Time/Creationtide I hope we can engage in our own Christian augury or divination, paying attention to all that God the Creator, the Earthy Christ, and the Winged Spirit are patiently waiting to tell us. I'll happily forego the lightning while out on the water.
During our return to the launch site we came upon two otters, a creature often depicted in Celtic art and named in legends of the hermit saints.as faithful companions. Perhaps their ease on land and in water is indicative of living in two worlds, temporal and spiritual. They are bold and curious animals and one of them "spy-hopped to get a better view of us.
It was a lovely hour or so and later I wrote to the Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan to thank them for their commitment to keeping the water clean.
St. Kevin, a blackbird, and an otter bringing a fish
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