Labyrinths: No Step Taken In Faith Is Wasted …

How far I have to go to find you in whom I have already arrived!
— Thomas Merton

 

Wayside Shrines

The difference between a labyrinth and a maze is that a labyrinth has no dead ends.

The famed eleven-circuit labyrinth inlaid in the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France has just one path, which takes the pilgrim in and out of four quadrants in a spiraling motion through dozens of left and right turns, before reaching its rosette center. Such a pattern invites meditation, and reminds the pilgrim the journey of faith is rarely a straightforward one.

Desert Day 14: The Labyrinth, A Metaphor For Our Journey …

The most important starting point in any definition of the classical labyrinth is a description of its physical construction. It is a single circuitous pathway, leading uninterrupted to a central position.
— Jim Buchanan from Labyrinths for the Spirit

There is one way in and one way out. There is a beginning and an end. He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is not only in the center, but the whole labyrinth is in him. We are not alone. Although at times it seems like I am journeying away from the center, I am actually well on the way towards it.  In fact, it is very true that as far as direction goes, I am often walking away from the center – away from the very place I am trying to get to – wondering how I will ever get there by doing that!  But experience has taught me – on the labyrinth and in life – that as long as I keep going, one step at a time, I can trust I will get there eventually.  It isn’t only about finding God in the center; it is about recognizing that the whole labyrinth – our whole journey – is held by God, in love. 

Walking the Labyrinth …

Recently, I walked a labyrinth. There are many ways to walk a labyrinth. One can walk it in silent meditation, attentive to each step and breath. One can walk a labyrinth while praying a specific prayer or recalling one’s life journey. This time, as I entered the path, I felt called to pray God’s names on the way into the center, one name for each step. There are many Biblical names for God. For example, Psalm 62 names God as “rock” and “fortress.” The Gospel according to Luke describes God as a “mother hen” who is sheltering her chicks beneath her wings (13:34). As I took each step, I allowed another name for God to rise up to the surface: Redeemer, Savior, Lover, My Rock, Faithful Friend, Shield, Teacher, Spouse, Light in Darkness, Divine Gardener. Sometimes I’d repeat a name I’d already prayed, and sometimes I’d discover a new one, e.g., Heart of my Heart. Praying as I walked, I was reminded of how many ways God had been present to me in the course of my life.

Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage 2015 …

Greetings,

I have some exciting news.  When I began this blog almost five years ago, I intended for it to be an archive of things that I found to be inspiring on my faith journey through life. The result is a wonderful chronicle of my soul’s exploration and discovery — and history of my own seeking journey and growing through life. It has become become a treasured library of inspirational things that I am glad to be able to share, and certainly one that I often return to again and again. My original intent was to eventually include some of my own personal writing, but I have never really had the courage to do so … until now.

Labyrinths: Circles In The Sand …

The labyrinth is a mandala that meets our longing for a change of heart, for a change of ways in how we live together on this fragile island home, and for the energy, the vision, and the courage to meet the challenges of the 21st century.