Editor’s note: This article was submitted for publication Fall 2018. This is a late upload.
By: Rev. David Wilson Rogers
The image of journey is central to Christian faith. Noah’s journey through the flood, Abraham’s journey across the fertile crescent, Jacob and Joseph’s journeys from the Promised Land to Egypt, Moses’ journey through the wilderness, Joshua’s journey back to the Land of Milk and Honey, Elijah’s journey to the mountain of God, Christ’s journey into the wilderness and ultimately the Cross, and the journey of two disciples along the road to Emmaus represent just a sampling of the sacred journeys that make up the Biblical story.
For centuries, Christians and faithful adherents to many of the world’s religions have valued and celebrated the power of the journey as a means of connection, deepening faith, and spiritual clarification. Although there are many means by the power of the journey is recalled, one tool of invoking the journey is the labyrinth.
One of the oldest known labyrinths is the Cretan Labyrinth which is at least 3,500 years old. This labyrinth is named for the Greek island of Crete where it was created. Today, the ancient pattern of the Cretan Labyrinth has been recreated across the globe. Another popular version of the ancient tool of spiritual journey is the Chartres Labyrinth. This labyrinth dates back to the 13th Century and is found on the floor of the Chartres Cathedral in France. Unlike the older Cretan, the Chartres Labyrinth bears the mark of distinctively Christian influence. At the center of the pattern is a six-petaled flower representing Christ and four distinctively equal quadrants which some attribute to the four Gospels.
Yet, part of the beauty of the labyrinth is that its symbolism has never been limited to one particular religious or spiritual tradition. Some equate the four quadrants of the circle to represent the four cardinal directions of North, South, East, and West, while others associate it with the four states of Wind, Water, Earth, and Fire. Likewise, the six petals of the Chartres have also been equated with the six powerful ways the labyrinth helps people connect with the divine. They are deepening one’s own sacred spirituality, drawing a stronger connection with one’s own spirit, opening one’s mind and heart to divine intuition and spiritual wisdom, recalling the power of simplicity, integrating body, mind and spirit as a sacred whole, and cultivating a greater intimacy within community.
There is nothing magic or supernatural about the labyrinth. It is merely a tool of spirituality and prayer not unlike prayer beads, candles, prayer books, and the sacred music of the faith. Yet, by opening one’s self to the possibility of spiritual renewal, transformation, and healing that can come from reclaiming a sacred journey by using a tool such as the labyrinth, one can experience tremendous blessing.
Countless lives have been changed and transformed by intentionally taking the journey into the labyrinth. Relationships have been restored, illnesses have been healed, clarity and meaning have been restored, lives have been renewed, and faith has been rejuvenated. All of this is through the power of prayer as exercised in the context of walking the sacred journey.
Within Portales, there are no officially registered labyrinths, but should anyone want to explore the labyrinth, a great starting point is to go online to the World-Wide Labyrinth Locater sponsored by the Labyrinth Society and Veriditas. It can be found at https://labyrinthlocator.com.
