Today I Walked the Labyrinth...

I've been walking labyrinths for almost 40 years. I took a class in contemplative prayer in seminary, and it was something that I have felt drawn to over and over again. Today, I went with a group from our FUMC Prairie Campus to walk the Labyrinth at Benet Hill Monastery, near Black Forest. It was led by their Silence Team, and about 20 of us gathered to spend some time in quiet, in nature, and in presence of one another. 

What is a labyrinth, you ask? It is a personal spiritual journey tool that symbolizes life's journey, and for many, it is a tool for self-discovery. Labyrinths can have many shapes, but one thing is for certain: it is NOT a maze. There are no dead ends - no decisions to make as you walk back and forth between its rows. You walk in - you pause in the center - and then you walk out, following the same path to took to come in. 

During the Middle Ages when it was not possible to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, many Christians used walking the labyrinth as a way to fulfill that obligation. When we walk the labyrinth, we are invited to see our life journeys mirrored in our walk. The labyrinth journey reflects our daily experiences. Sometimes we feel close to God... sometimes we feel far away. This brief journey reminds us that we will eventually get to the center where we can bask in the love of God. And at some point, we will feel ready to return to our daily lives, strengthened by our brief encounter with God. As we walk out, we go along the path we have already taken, but are invited to see it from a new perspective. 

Along the way, we encounter other walkers - some are going in our direction, but are traveling at different paces. Some have already been to the center and are walking out. Some are soaking up the ambiance of their own journeys, pausing and inviting us to pass them as they spend a moment of reflection. And when we encounter these other walkers, we get to make choices - do we slow down and wait? Do we step aside and pass? If we see them struggling, do we interrupt our journey to help them complete theirs?

The 12-circuit Labyrinth at Benet Hill is one of the most unique I have encountered. It is only 15 minutes from my house, but new to me. It is built on a small hill, so instead of being flat and equally measured as most labyrinths are, the path in and out undulates up and down as you go in and out. It is lightly forested, its paths strewn with the trunks of 30-foot-tall Ponderosa Pines towering above and veiled in dappled sunshine. Sometimes the tree covers half of the lane, and you have to use the tree trunk to give you leverage to stay on the path. The scent of pine and dirt and sunshine permeated the space, and even though there were 20 of us, it didn't feel crowded. It felt peaceful.

We are in a time of turmoil in our lives... the daily news... the changes in our churches and societies... they feel overwhelming. Today's labyrinth walk brought a measure of peacefulness to my week. I made some new friends and enjoyed a meal with them. 

I encourage you to find a place of peace - a place of labyrinth journey. The Labyrinth Society has a directory of labyrinths from all over the world - most of them are free, and many are accessible year-round. You can find them at www.labyrinthsociety.org and their locator at https://labyrinthlocator.org/. 

I pray peace for your journey!

Deb

(c) Deb Luther Teagan, 2025