The Pandemic and Walking A Labyrinth

The labyrinth is an ancient meditation tool, a path to prayer, a path of prayer. Meditation in motion. A container for reflection and an intentional way to connect with God, the Holy, the Sacred.

Living during this pandemic reminds me of walking a labyrinth.

When I stand at the threshold of a labyrinth, I sometimes feel anxious, for I have no idea what my experience might be, and that is exactly how I felt a year ago when life changed so dramatically. The path ahead was an unknown, and all I could do as I tried to look ahead was take a deep breath and ask for guidance. 

Tentatively, I took those beginning steps, asking what was required of me. How am I to live during this time? The walk towards the center of the labyrinth is a time to release. And isn't that what we were asked to do? We put on our masks and released our normal ways of living and moving in the world, experiencing losses along the way.

Along the way, we adapted, finding ways to manage the challenges. Zoom meetings with friends and family. Online church services. Ordering groceries online or shopping at times that weren't busy. Our day to day rhythms changed, and we relaxed into a slower pace. 

And yet, daily we yearned for this time to end. 

On an actual labyrinth, there is the moment when the center seems close. That was where we wanted to be. Home and safety; a feeling that we made it. But the labyrinth plays a trick on us: the curving path swings us away from the center and we go round and round yet again. 

Life during the pandemic turned out to be much longer than imagined.

And reaching the center was not what we wanted it to be. We thought once we arrived in the center, the pandemic would be over, and we could return to our normal ways of living. No such luck.

Being in the center may have felt like nothing was happening, but on good days we felt this was a time to receive --greater clarity about what is important to us; an awareness of our own resilience and who we are; gratitude for our health and the love and support of our dear ones; and an appreciation for stillness and solitude. Perhaps we accessed our contemplative side and noticed the movement of God in our lives. 

Now that more and more of us have been vaccinated, we are ready to resume movement and the path away from the center is a time to return. That is a long path, too, however, and no less important than the walk to the center. This path is a time to ask ourselves new questions.

    How have I changed since I first stood on the threshold?

    What do I bring with me from the hibernation time in the center? 

    What has changed in my life and what are my intentions for life after the pandemic? 

    What have I learned? What choices have I made that supported 
    who I was created to be? 

Eventually, we will cross the threshold and leave this particular labyrinth, this specific time of our lives, but the lessons, the learnings can remain with us and prepare us for the next labyrinth in our life.

A Prayer from Henri J. M. Nouwen

        The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my
    life. I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words
    that are your words, and actions that are your actions. There
    are no times places without choices. And I know how deeply
    I resist choosing you.
          Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every
    place. Give me the strength and the courage to live this
    season faithfully, so that, when Easter comes, I will be able
    to taste with joy the new life which you have prepare for me.
    Amen. 

An Invitation

What stage of the labyrinth are you on now? What are you learning? I would love to know.