It is still the longest night as I write this missive. Today is the first day of Winter and the days will slowly get longer.
I was privledged to get a chance to walk a meditative labyrinth at dusk. Labyrinths have been around for over 4000 years, and take various forms.
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I was struck by the complexity, as I had never seen one. Some people don't know the difference between a labyrinth and a maze. You actually walk into and out of a labyrinth through the pattern. I immediately wanted to know more about the origins of this particular one I walked which was based on the one at the Cathedral on Chartres, France:
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One of the most famous aspects of the cathedral in Chartres is the spectacular rose window over the great west doors. It has the same dimensions as the labyrinth and is exactly the same distance up the west wall as the labyrinth is laterally from the cathedral's main entrance below the window. An imaginary cosmic hinge located where the doors and floor intersect would, if closed, place the rose window directly on top of the labyrinth, thus the sparkling, colored light of the window and the darkness of the labyrinthine pilgrimage are combined.
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Walking a labyrinth is a deeply personal experience. You can clear your mind completely, or recite a mantra to yourself, or go into the walk thinking about a problem that troubles you. I used my walk to reflect on the need for Peace in my life. The War, the partisanship, the religious conflicts going on.... I wanted to keep myself open to anything that would guide me to a more peaceful way of dealing with life in the coming year.
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It takes about 10 minutes to walk at a casual pace to the center of the labyrinth. At the center is a special place that you may want to spend time reflecting or praying or doing whatever you feel compelled to do at the moment. A change occurs after that. Whereas going into the labyrinth you meditate on the problem.... on the way out you open yourself up to receiving a solution.
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At some point during my walk back out, the words of St. Francis of Assisi entered my head. A poem I had read again and again in my life, but it had been a long time since I read it. I didn't quite remember much of it other than the first few lines.... Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace.
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Be a peacemaker, in other words. That's what I got out of my 20 minute walk in and out of the labyrinth. Don't go looking for peace. Help create it.
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