Skip to main content

Walking Toward the Center

When I attended the Central Seminary faculty retreat at Conception Abbey a couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the bookstore on a rainy Friday afternoon. My plan to walk around the grounds was not practical, so I began browsing the book shelves for something to read until dinner. Labyrinths: Walking Toward the Center by Gernot Candolini caught my attention. I bought the book and spent the next hour in a comfortable chair and gaining a new appreciation for the power of the labyrinth through the eyes of an articulate and impassioned practitioner.

Candolini is an author, photographer, and designer of labyrinths and gardens who lives in Innsbruck, Austria. He pulls the reader into the book by sharing his unfolding love affair with the labyrinth and the practice of pilgrimage. To Candolini, “[t]he labyrinth is a sacred tool for knowing; an image that connects us to God, the world, and ourselves.” Although of ancient origin, it has proven adaptable to many traditions including Christian contemplation. Among other things, the author sees the labyrinth as a symbol of Resurrection, the ebb and flow of the Christian life, and a pilgrimage to a holy place.

The labyrinth is a perfect antidote to modern thinking. Candolini explains,

“When I sketch a new labyrinth, I generally begin by laying out the boundaries of the paths. At first everything always looks a little confused. But once I’ve finished the design, there comes a moment of delight: how clear, how formally beautiful, how complete the whole appears in its finished form. When I’m looking at nature—I’m a biologist—I often have the same experience: so many things appear disordered in their parts, but are revealed to be perfect when seen as a whole.”

Candolini shares observations that are both encouraging and challenging. He notes, for example, “I’m comforted in knowing that, even in an uncertain world, I can feel secure; even in the most uncertain times, I can believe that I am in the firm hands of God.” He also says, “On a path two great crises await you. The first comes when the magic of the beginning has vanished. The second comes just before the goal. Both ask the question: Do you really want this?”

This is a wonderful little book. Candolini’s illustrations, personal experiences, and spiritual insights helped me to a more complete understanding of the labyrinth and motivated me to walk one!



Comments

Anonymous said…
What a beautiful discovery. I've never imagined one's faith walk as such, but now I can't imagine a better symbol.

Amen

Jon Large

Check these out

Confessions of a Recovering Southern Baptist

I am grateful for my heritage as a Southern Baptist.  I was exposed to the Bible and worship from a very young age.  I grew up in a church in south Alabama that supported the Cooperative Program of missions giving.  This meant that our church had the benefit of being part of a supportive group of local churches and the educational opportunities that afforded. Our state convention provided varied and effective ministries with groups like orphans, ethnic groups, and college students.  We supported missionaries at home and abroad.  We had good Bible study and training literature (which we paid for, of course).  I went to an accredited seminary and paid a remarkably low tuition.  Wherever you went on a Sunday morning (in the Southeast and Southwest, at least), you could find a church that sang the familiar hymns and studied the same Bible lesson. In hindsight, I realize that this Southern Baptist utopia was imperfect.  There were significant theological differences, often geograp

The Bible Tells Me So

As I read the story of the Good Samaritan during my devotional today, I was reminded of the times that I have heard the story in the Christian education setting of the local church--as a youngster in primary and intermediate classes (old terminology), as a young adult in college classes, and then as an adult, often teaching the passage myself.     The characters and story line are very familiar due to these experiences of Christian education. These are challenging times for Christian education in the church.  Like so much of what is happening in the church today, the old forms do not seem to support present needs.  What once worked no longer seems to be effective.  Christian education or the formation of believers is in a state of flux. In an article on ethicsdaily.com , retired professor Colin Harris addresses this issue. He points out that the period of the 60’s and 70’s  “saw the beginnings of a loss of vitality within the educational dimension of church ministry, as the

Metaphors of the Kingdom of God

In a recent blog , consultant Seth Godin addresses the power of metaphor.   He points out, “The best way to learn a complex idea is to find it living inside something else you already understand.”   In other words, “this” is like “that.” “When you see a story, an example, a wonderment,” says Godin, “take a moment to look for the metaphor inside.”   Jesus turned this around.   In the use of parables, he told a story or provided a metaphor and challenged his hearers to see the truth within. For example, in his teaching on the Kingdom (or Reign) of God in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom to such things as a mustard seed, yeast, a hidden treasure, a net, a king, and a landowner.   His hearers are encouraged to use their imaginations to understand something that they had never experienced.   He also attempted to shift their perspective so that they might see signs of the Kingdom breaking into their present reality.  These are metaphors for the Kingdom. Where do w

The Tragedy of Willow Creek Community Church

File photo of Steve Carter, Heather Larson, and Bill Hybels As Christian brothers and sisters, we need to pray for Willow Creek Community Church.   On the eve of the Global Leadership Summit, a worldwide conference sponsored by the church in cooperation with the Willow Creek Association, church leadership imploded as a result of further allegations against former pastor Bill Hybels. Last year, Hybels introduced the team who would assume church leadership upon his retirement--lead pastor Heather Larson and teaching pastor Steve Carter.  Although the founding pastor planned to stay on to assist in a time of transition, reports of sexual impropriety involving Hybels surfaced early this year.  He accelerated his departure from the church and left the board of the Willow Creek Association. When other charges emerged last week, teaching pastor Carter resigned. On Wednesday evening, Larson and the entire elder board--lay leaders who provide accountability on behalf of the congreg

A Future for the Global Leadership Summit?

Craig Groeschel, the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church. The Global Leadership Summit which began as a project of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, and its founding pastor, Bill Hybels, over 25 years ago was held this week without Hybels. For several years, the GLS has been now produced by the Willow Creek Association, a spin-off organization and a loose network of churches but Hybels has been its driving force. Attended by thousands at the church facility in South Barrington and broadcast to thousands more at satellite locations, the annual meeting brings together not only evangelical leaders but outstanding speakers from business, charitable organizations, politics, and business.  For the first time, Hybels did not appear due to allegations of sexual impropriety brought against him over the past year by former employees, staff members, and business associates.  He has already left the church and resigned from the board of the association.