Walking a Labyrinth in Hickory, NC

It was truly a Celebration, like drinking a fine wine of Life.

At first I was not really aware of where I was - not exactly - even just balancing was suddenly more trouble that it had been while walking to the labyrinth. I am aware of other people here, mostly going in different directions. How can we all be going to the same place? That doesn’t make sense.

There are interesting objects along our path, rocks and plants and earth. We enjoy that, take note and move on. We see new objects as we continue and suddenly become aware that we are now seeing mostly the same things - over again, but now from a different angle. Sometimes we see it in a new light from an different side than before.

We are aware of other people and sense we are all on a journey together. Sometimes we walk for a while with them, then pass them by quickly. We begin to get to know them, but since all we really see of them is just their bare feet, we really don’t know who they really are.

The revolutions of the labyrinth shorten, each cycle comes more quickly now. Passages which seemed to take such a long time, just a short while ago, now occur much more quickly and then still even quicker.

A sound we heard faintly at the beginning now becomes more important in our journey. That comes from the fountain which is at the center of the labyrinth. For a while it seemed we would never really get there - maybe eventually - but not that important now. And as we approach this magical center, we find we keep turning away from it, for - well, unexplained reasons - well, that’s how the pathway runs. When we do reach the center it seems surprisingly quickly.

Coming back out of the labyrinth, I wonder how I can possibly explain what it was like to people who have never walked one. Somehow, I will have to use parables.