Why I Use a Spiritual Labyrinth
You make know to me the path of life; in your presence there is fulness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)
I keep a small metal labyrinth on my desk at home. It is about four and a half inches in diameter. It has a wooden pointer with a sharp point I keep next to it. Most spiritual labyrinths I experienced you walk, like the one in Westminster’s chapel during Lent. While my small labyrinth isn’t as immersive as one you can walk in, it remains consequential. Moving a small stick across a metal maze may seem like a waste of time until you scratch below the surface.
Look at the image of my tiny labyrinth. There are an infinite number of spiritual visuals you can focus on as you slide the point across the labyrinth’s surface. You start at the bottom notch with the opening. You move up about an inch before your staff's point jerks to the left. Press too hard, and the metal slides, and your movement is stilted. Like life, your being doesn’t flow well if you push too hard. If your touch is too light, the staff slides across the labyrinth, and you cannot follow your path. Like life, if you face the world with a Lasse Faire attitude, you will slide along without direction or meaning.
While moving along the labyrinth, going too quickly can cause you to slide off your path. Slow and steady keeps you on track and provides the opportunity for reflection. Along the route, there are times when the arc of movement is extended. I think those are times when everything is moving well and the journey is going as planned. Even a stick on metal feels comfortable and relaxing. Yet the long stretches in the same direction do not last long. The journey’s turns are jolting. With the long distances in the same direction, you cannot help but pick up speed, making the sharp turn more shocking.
In my mind, the short distances, with quick turns, feel like life’s uncomfortable challenges. In the labyrinth, the sharp, jolting turns seem to happen a few times before the relief of a long stretch. The labyrinth seems to say, “be prepared; where there is one difficult moment, you can expect another, and quickly.” The labyrinth is a creative way of reaching inner meaning uniquely and tangibly. If you live in the Des Moines area, come and try the labyrinth you walk. Otherwise, try a little labyrinth like the one I use. They are easy to order and inexpensive. The labyrinth is another way to reach beyond the conscious, allowing the Holy Spirit to influence your thoughts and ideas. Don’t forget to pray before and after the labyrinth exercise. When you do, the Holy Spirit will bring unique meaning each time you move along the sacred path.