Each time I visit St Ives, I make it my business to walk uphill to the Barnoon Cemetery. I like to roam around in it, reading the ancient gravestones if I can. They often cannot be read, because the lichen on the stones gets too thick. One must be very fit because the path upward is punishingly steep. But the view from the top is stunning.
The photo you see here on the left was taken during a morning fog, rendering it fairly spooky. It reminds me of an old British film back in the day where the main characters were afraid of the churchyard. My husband loves that kind of thing, and asks, "How about we watch an old 1950's black and white British horror flick? Or a British black and white science fiction movie in a graveyard..?" His face lights up in anticipation, but I am not so keen.
British towns and villages all seem to have 'churchyards' in them, with tall, crooked gravestones looking ominous. I grew up in a small town whose cemetery was less than a mile from our house. It was always tidy. The young fry liked going there during the summer when they had gotten the 'boot' (there was no 'hanging out' at home in those days). The boys often followed us up there to hide and shout "BOO!" at the most inopportune moment. Screaming and running became a large part of our summer entertainment, until we all had to start picking berries.
Our mother used to tell us we should never stand on a grave. Standing on people's graves was disrespectful, she said. My little sister and I never stood on graves after that because we did not want to be disrespectful. Oh! I just remembered that we did go up there and run around one time, and whenever my sister ran over a grave, she apologized to them as if they cared! I sure do love her.
And then years ago at a funeral there, I made an important discovery. I was no longer afraid of the cemetery. The lady whom we had gathered to honor had touched all our lives with her love for Christ. She had given her life to Him as a young woman, and lived forever after following His lead. Her face was a wreath of smiles, and I miss her terribly. But I am not afraid, for He is with me.
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." Psalm 23:4
See you along the Way!
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