Experiencing God 2: The Labyrinth

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

"When you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going." Jn 12:35b (NRSV)

A labyrinth is meant to focus your thoughts so that you may be open to reflection and prayer.

The verse, above, seems apropos to a labyrinth experience I had while on a mission trip at the Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville, NC, because I walked the labyrinth at night while thinking through some things. I walked in darkness, literally and figuratively, that evening.

Nighttime can be reflective time for me. The night tends to be when the busy-ness of the day fades into the background for a while. I felt compelled to walk the labyrinth that particular night. I grabbed a flashlight from the car and went.

Hinton’s labyrinth is tucked away between the main parking lot and one of their retreat buildings. The path to it is lit, but the labyrinth itself is not. Gray and red pavers mark the path, but as the contrast between the colors is poor (even in the daylight), I had to force myself to concentrate to remain on the path. My jumble of thoughts gave way to some order as I walked. By the time I reached the center I had mentally reached a point where I could feel that I was not alone in my existence, in my thoughts, and in my troubles.

Prayer at the center of the labyrinth is meant to be reflective, the midpoint of the spiritual discipline. I was still wrestling through some things in my mind when I had a of moment of profound clarity, a transcendent and powerful moment. It was as if everything stood still and became part of the background except my relationship with God. I felt connected to ‘all that is’ in that moment; the mental wrestling stopped and my thoughts converged -- then I was suddenly aware once again of being in the center of that labyrinth in Western North Carolina. I could hear the breeze through the trees and the night sounds.

I stayed in the center for a little longer, then I walked the path back through the labyrinth and out into the real world once again.

You should try to walk a labyrinth sometime. You may find your own peace in this spiritual discipline or you may not.