Walking a labryinth

Soon before I left Manassas, I went to the Linton Hall Benedictine Monastery and walked the labyrinth. This arial view shows just a corner of one of the amazing silos standing vigil.  They took two ordinary grain silos and transformed them into quiet prayer and meditation "rooms". Complete with stained glass and a sky open to God above. This farmer's daughter is grateful for a reminder of her childhood and a reminder of the amazing creativity of God's people.

So what's a Pentecostal Protestant doing wandering a labyrinth in a Catholic monastery?  She's slowing  walking, with a heart that needed to be quieted. She's walking in gratitude to the Body of Christ that values beauty and contemplation.  She's doing it 'cause it's open to the public and no one cares if I'm Catholic, Protestant or heathen.              Come and walk.

"It is not talking but walking that will bring us to heaven."
-  Matthew Henry

I'm mindful of a deep need to slow down, connect my head, my heart and my spirit, to participate in all that God has for me.  I need peace for this rocky part of my journey.

So I walked.  I arrived on a day when a handful of women were tending the beautiful gardens around the labyrinth and silos.  As I walked, their voices grew to murmers in respect of my walk.  I know they must accomodate people all the time but it gave me a sense of being in my own space but within the larger space of their garden, within community.  We do essentially walk alone- we are in our own relationship with Jesus, we are separate from what is outside us.  But at the same time, we are always in community - for the hour that I walked, I was part of their community. A portion of the larger Body.

All alone, all connected. Part of the mystery.

As you walk a Chartres labyrinth- modeled after the floor in the cathedral at Chartres, France- you walk stone pavers that form the interconnecting serpentine pathway. You begin and following the stones, winding through the pattern, at one point certain the next series of turns will surely bring you to the center.  Suddenly you find you are not in the center at all but instead you have followed the path to the opposite site.  Left brain, right brain - appearing divided but connected by the path. You haven't arrived yet. You have the whole other side to calm your self and walk, thinking, praying, wondering.

"This is taking a long time. How can these be connected? Oh, I see where it goes. Someone was very clever.  Someone should also pull these weeds. Is it spiritual to stop and pull weeds out of the cracks?  What would happen if I just stepped over the line- I could cut off a bunch of walking? I think I got lost- can you get lost on a flat surface? Why can't I focus? God, are you here?"

But as I slowly continued, one foot behind the other, staying on the path, ignoring the weeds, welcoming the breeze- my heart calmed. My thoughts collected.  In this journey of life, there are often moments when I cannot see a connection between my current path and my desired end.  I am hindered by distractions- weeds in my path.  I am tempted to take short cuts.  I wonder if I've lost my way.  I cry out, "God, are you here?"

                And in life and in the labyrinth, He answers, "Peace. Be still and know I am God".

 Suddenly, I have arrived in the center. I have stayed the course, I have walked all the paths and made the right turns.  Really you can't lose your way in a labyrinth unless you walk blindfolded or and refuse to look at the path in front of you.  And I believe you cannot lose your way in life- unless you blindfold yourself and refuse look at the path before you.  I believe that God has a good path for each of His children and no two paths look alike.

Sometimes it feels like we  must have lost the way. Sometimes it feels like there is no rhyme or reason. And sometimes there is a glimpse of of clarity as the pieces line up for a moment. Or you feel like you can reach out the touch your goal but the path then takes you a long way away, away to a new place. Trust Him for the journey. Then there are times when a shortcut tempts us, who would know? ...
Stay the course.  One step, one day at a time.

It would be all so simple if there was a labyrinth or a personal yellow brick road in front of me at all times. How often have I said, "I'd do His will if I knew what it was." Well, I do know.






In Luke's Gospel, Zechariah dedicated his son, John, with these words, "....the tender mercy of our God,

by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness

       and in the shadow of death,

                                                 to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

 He desires me to be faithful. Not demanding a road map. Satisfied with His presence. 

Peace. 

"Be Still and Know I am God."

Once, as I prayed for direction with a friend, she had a picture for me.  In her picture, I was moving from foot to foot, impatiently waiting. A path was before me but it  was quickly obscured by weeds, broken down and then gone altogether. Then she saw a man kneeling in front of me, carefully laying the next section of the path. A smooth path, a level path, a clear path. 


Life isn't a static labyrinth that we can all carefully march with the same turns for each of us. Our shared goal as His followers is to bring glory to Him.  We can learn much from sharing in a pattern laid by others for parts of our experience.  But when it comes to our lives, our walk, we have the Master mason who only lays out one section at a time.  As I chose to stay close to Him and trust Him for the next piece, the next season, I know Peace and I am still. 


I stood for a moment in the center of the labyrinth, my heart quiet. Then I retraced my steps. This time with a renewed understanding that the path was trustworthy, the way was smooth. I could leave with peace. Peace to share.