The Labyrinth - Part 2

While on retreat at the Passionist retreat house in West Hartford, I walked the labyrinth.  The centerpiece of this labyrinth is a large stone sculpture.  Other labyrinths that I have traversed have a crucifix at the center, so this was new for me.

The artist suggest that the circle represents the eternity of God and the emptiness of the circle suggests we need to empty ourselves as we journey.

Well, I took that thought with me into the labyrinth and developed a few thoughts of my own.  In the beginning, I saw the sculpture as an empty human being, needing God to fill him up, to make him whole. From various angles, I saw people who knew that and could see the empty space within themselves and from other angles, those who could not see the void within.

Halfway through the walk, I saw completely through the structure from the back to the front.  Then I saw a circle and the circle was God.  Nothing exists outside the circle and the entire universe exists inside of, and is bound inside the circle by God.

The rocks that made up that circle were smooth, rough, flat, curved, large, small, light and dark just like the wondrous variety of life that we see in God's marvelous gift of creation.

When I arrived at the center, I noticed that people had been bringing petitions and rocks to the center to stuff into cracks, crevices and niches of the sculpture.  I presume they carried the rocks to drop their burdens off with God.  I added my prayer to God for their petitions and unburdening if they were for their greatest good and His will.

On the walk back out, I noted the footprints of my fellow travelers as we walked the path to God together - but separate.