One walks the labyrinth, carefully following its direction from beginning to end. During the walking of the path, the labyrinth becomes a way of focusing the soul; a looking at Christ who dwells within us. The one who walks the path in this way must slow down in order to really focus on the presence of Jesus. The very density of the path and the tightness of its curves help to prevent anything like a race to the center.
For the goal-oriented person, slowing down can be frustrating. With the knowledge that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, the twisting and turning of the labyrinth defies that logic. It is designed to slow us down and make us reflect, ponder, and contemplate. Even though the straight line journey might be the shortest, it might not be the most radiant or beautiful!
Walking the labyrinth can be likened to the Spiritual Pilgrimage of Life. There are times in which we feel close to God. Thus, at those points where the path takes us closer to the center, we feel closer. At other times in life, we might experience dryness in our relationship with the Lord or even distant from Him due to sin in our lives. Thus, when the path of the labyrinth takes us farther from the center, the feeling of being distant is increased.
The slow pace of the journey allows time to converse with the Lord about the times of closeness and distance. We are encouraged to stay on the path throughout its twists and variances, knowing that there is just one way that leads to the center. Jesus is the way to the Heavenly City, our goal. Therefore, we are invited to stick with Him and to bring to Him on the journey all of our joys, sorrows, and pains.
Bishop Baron states in his reflection on the Chartres Labyrinth, “Christ referred to himself as “the way”, indicating that his manner of being in the world is the path that His manner of being in the world is the path that leads to the Father. He by no means guarantees that this path will be straight or simple, but He does assure us that it leads where we want to go. The winding by sure path of the labyrinth is Christ the way; if we stay with it, even when it seems to be getting us nowhere, we will arrive.”