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After listening to Julia’s sermon about her experience in the labyrinth, I thought I might
provide a few ideas to use a labyrinth as a Lenten meditation. We no longer have the labyrinth in our church garden but with thanks from a gift from Jim White, we do have some wooden finger labyrinths in the office that may be borrowed if anyone is interested.

When a labyrinth is walked or completed by one’s finger, it can become a powerful field for
self-discovery, transformation, spiritual deepening, processing grief, relieving stress and finding clarity.

The theme of the Provincial Eco and Social Justice Committee for 2022 is “pilgrimage”, and a number of pilgrimages are being planned through the Ecclesiastical Province of BC. Putting these two ideas together can have powerful results. A pilgrimage has three parts: the journey to the sacred destination, the time spent at that destination, and the return journey back home. A labyrinth contains those same three elements, with the center symbolic of the destination.

Just as on a physical pilgrimage, the journey into the labyrinth is a time for gaining clarity over your intentions, clearing obstacles on the path, and preparing for reaching the destination. On a pilgrimage, the obstacles encountered are often physical – heavy loads that must be carried, bad weather, and long distances. But within a labyrinth, the obstacles are more subtle – your memories, thoughts, beliefs, judgments, attitudes distractedness,
or self-doubt, to name a few.

As you spend time with your thoughts on the way toward the center, you can assess whether they are truly serving you. On the walk, you have an opportunity to explore other options. If you practice bringing yourself back into balance, being mindful, and managing your thoughts, you create an openness that prepares you to reach the center.

The destination of a pilgrimage, like the center of the labyrinth, is a place for learning, being in silence to receive guidance and insight, and soaking up the energy of the sacred place. Spend time there, listen quietly, get the feeling, and give thanks for your time there before leaving. Often most rush this step, but take the time to be in stillness long enough to be receptive to the sacredness of everyday life.

On the return journey home, take your time as you walk back out. This will allow for the
integration of what you learned on your journey so that you can implement new choices and new perspectives in your life. If you do not integrate and implement, then all you have had is an interesting journey, or a curious spin around the circle. If you want transformation, you will need to do things differently when you return home – when you exit the labyrinth.

Blessings on your journey through Lent.