Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to your life’s span?
And why are you anxious about clothing?
Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these.
~ Matthew 6:26-29
Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers, our labyrinth is well on its way to completion, and the closer it gets, the more excited we have become! Our labyrinth is in a beautiful spot at the back of the parking lot. Many hands have gone into clearing the land, laying out the bricks and digging them into the ground. Nearly everyone who has come to work, or to support those who are working, has commented on the space calling it special, calming, meditative, and spiritual.
The space does feel special. There’s often a gentle breeze that blows through the trees. One day we were working and a bird followed Dick Seymour’s backhoe, waiting to eat whatever insects we unearthed. Another day, when Lynn Brown, Anne Corey and I were laying out the design, a butterfly kept us company.
Whenever I walk a labyrinth, I feel calm. Or at least I feel less anxious. This verse from Matthew comes to mind: And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to your life’s span? The Common English Bible translates this verse this way: “Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life?”
Worry. Anxiety. These constant companions can distract me from the present and take me away from observing “the birds of the air” and “the lilies of the field.” Slowly walking a labyrinth, outdoors, feeling the sun on my face and a breeze at my back I am reminded that God is everywhere. God cares for creation and all that is in it. God cares for me, and you, and the “birds of the air,” and the “lilies of the field.”
Walking a labyrinth, especially one that is outdoors like ours, invites us to step out of the worry and anxiety that so many of us live in on a daily basis and enter into the beauty and peace of the natural world around us. As we walk, our heart rate slows, our breathing becomes deeper, our minds calm down and focus, we become more aware of our blessings. We are reminded of the fundamental truths of our faith – that God loves us and cares for us and calls us to lives of kindness, justice and peace. What a wonderful way to walk humbly with our God!
He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? ~ Micah 6:8
~Connie Knapp