Walking the Labyrinth

Have you ever walked a labyrinth?  Years ago, I walked one on a Maundy Thursday at a Catholic church in Memphis. I will never forget it because it was such a spiritual experience.

A huge labyrinth was laid down on a large gym floor in the church and guests were invited to walk it.  “A prayer labyrinth is a labyrinth used to facilitate prayer, meditation, spiritual transformation and/or global unity”(www.GotQuestions.org).

You enter the labyrinth and stay on your path until you reach the exit.  It is a quiet, meditative motion of the feet and no voices are heard.  It is a time for individual focus and reflection. There is a specific pattern and design and you have to stay with the plan. “Unlike a maze, a labyrinth is designed for ease of navigation and it is impossible to get lost in one” (www.GotQuestions.org).

As in everyday life, you have to concentrate so that you will not get onto someone else’s lane and have a collision.  As you circle the labyrinth, you will see people on their journeys and sometimes you may be relaxed enough to look up and acknowledge them with a smile or nod of the head.  You see them and then you refocus on your own narrow way.

But here is one amazing fact.  Sometimes, you will meet the same person over and over again.  In most instances, you will only encounter a person once during the travel.  It is so similar to real life because you often interact with people once.  But then, there are those who come in and out of your life at different intervals.

The labyrinth truly represents  everyday life and its journey.  If one is ever set up near you, go and have this meditative experience.  This precious memory will forever be etched in my mind and I think Marc Cohn’s lyrics say it all.  Click the arrow below and enjoy the sights and sounds of his Walking in Memphis!

Lynn M.                                                                          January 17, 2016