Þingvellir National Park: Walking Between Two Continents
A Spiritual Place
Þingvellir: Assembly Field
From Wiki:
The name Þingvellir is derived from the Old Norse Þingvǫllr, from þing (“thing, assembly”) and vǫllr (“field”), meaning assembly fields. Compare the English thing and weald (“Thingweald”) from Anglo-Saxon þing and weald. The site takes its name from Alþing (Althing), the national parliament of Iceland, which was founded at Þingvellir in 930 and held its sessions there until 1798. A thing was a form of governing assembly found in Germanic societies, and a tradition that endures to this day in one form or another across Northern Europe.
Have you had the chance to visit this location?
This is a spiritual place. A holy place. I have never ever experienced nature like at this location.
Let me tell you a bit about this experience.
We parked our rental car in a designated parking lot. One of several easy to access parking lots throughout the Golden Circle. Iceland has made driving through the Golden Circle so accommodating. We got out of our car and noticed a few different paths. We selected one that seemed to take us nearer to the rocks. The path in the photographs above. We walked up a few natural stone steps and turned left on to a long beautiful boardwalk. Almannagjá
Something about this environment was different. I felt a change. My physical posture and speed changed as I stepped on the boardwalk. Similar to the slow down I feel when walking in to an old church, or art museum. My pace slowed. My ears opened up. I wanted to take it in. Not rush. To listen. Nature. Hope. Promise. Order. Purpose. I could feel God here. In this spot between rocks. I could hear the Spirit. 'This is the place that I healed the great divide. This is the spot where I brought forgiveness. This is the spot of forgiveness.'
I stood at the end of the boardwalk. A spot where you can experience a waterfall crash (Öxaráfoss) at your feet. Cool blue water rushing downstream on your left. Noisy. Altering earth. On the edge of this boardwalk I could hear the living Spirit of God. For a few seconds I had a lil insight to the tremendous love and compassion and willingness to forgive over and over again until his children got it right. That crashing sound of a loving waterfall. It silences all other sounds. It's love forming and reforming the earth. Since the beginning of time he has been working with us to make it right. A never ending flow of love between a great divide. So much so that he has established sanctuaries here on earth that we can physically go to with our brokenness, our worries, and concerns.. This is one of those places. I could hear the Spirit of God saying "Can you feel the wave of this waterfall? It's a symbol of the love I have for you. I rush over with love for you. Forming and reforming you. Never giving up on you. Never letting you go dry. I have breached the Great Divide to pour my life giving water on you. No distance is too far to bring us back together." I just cried. I could feel the mist of the waterfall and my tears mixing together. I could feel me leaving a bit of my sadness here.
We spent a long time at the end of the boardwalk. Watching the rush of water dance on the rocks. The colors changed often. It is a fascinating spot.
There is history in this place. I thought, I can't be the only one to ever experience this here. We didn't know anything about where we were, or what this area had been.
I stood at the end of the boardwalk. A spot where you can experience a waterfall crash (Öxaráfoss) at your feet. Cool blue water rushing downstream on your left. Noisy. Altering earth. On the edge of this boardwalk I could hear the living Spirit of God. For a few seconds I had a lil insight to the tremendous love and compassion and willingness to forgive over and over again until his children got it right. That crashing sound of a loving waterfall. It silences all other sounds. It's love forming and reforming the earth. Since the beginning of time he has been working with us to make it right. A never ending flow of love between a great divide. So much so that he has established sanctuaries here on earth that we can physically go to with our brokenness, our worries, and concerns.. This is one of those places. I could hear the Spirit of God saying "Can you feel the wave of this waterfall? It's a symbol of the love I have for you. I rush over with love for you. Forming and reforming you. Never giving up on you. Never letting you go dry. I have breached the Great Divide to pour my life giving water on you. No distance is too far to bring us back together." I just cried. I could feel the mist of the waterfall and my tears mixing together. I could feel me leaving a bit of my sadness here.
We spent a long time at the end of the boardwalk. Watching the rush of water dance on the rocks. The colors changed often. It is a fascinating spot.
There is history in this place. I thought, I can't be the only one to ever experience this here. We didn't know anything about where we were, or what this area had been.
When we got back in to the car, and drove over to a near by cafe. We began to read about the history of this spot in particular. Here is a great blog that I found with so much information: https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/jorunnsg/ingvellir-national-park
This is the great continental divide. Where North America and Europe meet. It was a spot where Iceland would get together and meet and discuss the order of their country. It was their assembly spot. I don't know what their prayers, conversations were at the time, but I think they still resonate there today.
image from wiki Althing
I am reminded of a portion of Pslam 33
For God’s Word is solid to the core;
everything he makes is sound inside and out.
He loves it when everything fits,
when his world is in plumb-line true.
Earth is drenched
in God’s affectionate satisfaction.
The skies were made by God’s command;
he breathed the word and the stars popped out.
He scooped Sea into his jug,
put Ocean in his keg.
everything he makes is sound inside and out.
He loves it when everything fits,
when his world is in plumb-line true.
Earth is drenched
in God’s affectionate satisfaction.
The skies were made by God’s command;
he breathed the word and the stars popped out.
He scooped Sea into his jug,
put Ocean in his keg.
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