When I was a kid, Labyrinth was a movie that I found scary. I didn’t know there were actual walking labyrinths that people used to get closer to God. I didn’t grow up in a denomination that promoted creativity in spirituality, so the first time I walked a labyrinth, I was in a state of awe.
I can pray and walk in a circle? I can walk in a circle and think and call that spirituality? I can work to clear my mind and pray while walking in a circle? What a gift that first labyrinth experience was for me.
The first time I walked a labyrinth, I was wearing socks and walking on a canvas labyrinth in the Fellowship Hall of another United Methodist Church. I didn’t quite understand what to do and immediately got to the center. What a weird maze, I thought. Luckily, I had a friend explain it to me more fully. The point is not to untangle the labyrinth in your head, like you would a maze. The point is to move around the circle, untangling your mind and opening yourself to the movement of the spirit.
Since then, I have noticed labyrinths in a variety of contexts. From key chains to T-shirts to sand art, once you start looking, you can find them in unexpected places. According to the World Labyrinth website, characteristics of a true labyrinth include a meandering path to the center.
“The essential features remain the same: a bounded, interior space clearly demarcated and different from the ordinary, exterior area, with a continuous though meandering path to the center and back out again, usually by the same path…True labyrinths are unicursal—meaning that they have a single path (contrasted with mazes which are multicursal)—and are usually intended to provide a meditative, reflective, and/or spiritual experience.”
Walking a labyrinth is a form of meditation, and World Labyrinth Day is an invitation to pray for peace around the globe. To find our more about this special day, you can visit https://www.worldlabyrinthday.org/.
At First United Methodist Church of Hurst, we have the blessing of an outdoor labyrinth, located next to the Village Garden, near our Pipeline entrance. This labyrinth is always open. On World Labyrinth Day, or as your schedule and weather allows, I invite you to walk this labyrinth and see what it feels like to you.
If you have any mobility concerns, you are invited to explore a finger labyrinth online at https://labyrinthsociety.org/download-a-labyrinth
I’d love to hear about your experience with labyrinths! Feel free to share with me in person or via email at .
