By: Marissa Zhu
I had never walked a labyrinth before the labyrinth here at Christ Church Cranbrook. I knew it was a spiritual practice, a form of contemplative prayer, but I wasn’t sure if I’d connect with it. Would I feel anything? Would I even know if I did?
So, I just showed up.
The first thing I noticed was how long and slow it felt. I’m someone who typically moves quickly. But the slowness was part of the gift. The winding, structured path gave me a sense of steady direction and momentum—something I don’t always experience in my daily walk with God. There was no need to make any decisions. I simply had to follow.
That, in itself, was calming.
As I walked, the Gregorian chants created a rhythm that my footsteps naturally fell into. I didn’t intend to sync my steps to the chanting, but breaking from that rhythm felt… off. So I stayed with it. I moved much more slowly than I would have preferred, and that, too, became an invitation: to walk with God’s timing, not mine.
Last week, I walked the labyrinth twice. At the center, I paused to reflect and wrote this short poem:
I no longer need
everything to be still
to be able to hear your voice.
I can hear you
in the swirl of chaos—
even still.
That poem captures something I’ve been learning lately. I’m learning not to react to everything around me. I don’t get swept up as easily in the chaos of others’ emotions, the dysfunction of institutions, or even the ups and downs of my own hopes and fears. I’m learning how to stay anchored, to remain in communion with God even when life around me is anything but still.
Come and see what the Labyrinth might have in store for you! Come anytime between 6:30pm and 9pm on Tuesday nights through April 8 — in the Atrium of Christ Church Cranbrook.
There will be a short instructional “how to” offered each night at 6:30pm by The Rev. Marjorie Whilhelmi as well as this handout, for anyone looking for more guidance.