Labyrinths

Earlier this year I had a chance to experience labyrinths for the first time. I enjoyed an outdoor turf labyrinth at the Methodist Memorial Chapel at Lake Junaluska, N.C., and then a t0-scale traveling replica of the labyrinth at Chartes Cathedral near Paris, France. In both cases I had a deeply spiritual adventure of the heart and mind.

A labyrinth is not a maze; it is a tightly winding path toward the center. These meditation tools have been around since ancient history but the people of the Middle Ages showed a keen interest in labyrinths and included them in their church designs.

Sadly, many of these old examples were destroyed or paved over. But the labyrinth at Chartes Cathedral remains (that's it in the photo). It was built around 1200 and was meant to be walked as a pilgrimage or for repentance. As a pilgrimage, it served as a quest, leading the pilgrim on a journey with the hope of becoming closer to God. When used for repentance, pilgrims moved through the labyrinth on their knees. Sometimes this 11-circuit labyrinth would serve as a substitute for an actual pilgrimage to Jerusalem and as a result came to be called the "Chemin de Jerusalem" or "Road of Jerusalem."

While walking a labyrinth, the twists and turns of the path recalls one's spiritual journey. Sometimes the path leads you close to the center, which to many represents God. Other times, the path takes you to the far edge, where you can hardly see the center. It's a touching metaphor. Coming into the center, one feels peace and grounding. A solace. A silence. A deep breath....

But you don't have to go to Paris or North Carolina to experience a labyrinth. Many churches and parks around the world have them. To look for one near you, visit the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator Web site.