When I interviewed with the Session of Montclair Church about the possibility of becoming your Temporary Supply Pastor, they asked me a great question: “what do you need from us?” I told them the usual things about “setting priorities” and “giving good feedback” and then I told them that my biggest personal concern about becoming your pastor is that I would find a way to keep up my walking regime. I then told them about my idea of having “walking office hours” on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 4 and 6 p.m.
I’m pleased to report that your Session is faithful to their promises and Margaretha Derasary took me for my first walk on Thursday. We drove up Thornhill to Skyline and then went for a walking tour of the labyrinths in Sibley Volcanic Park. It was warm, but not hot, and the views were spectacular! We could see Mount Diablo and the inland valleys in one direction and Karl the Fog (twitter handle for the San Francisco fog) billowing in through the Golden Gate when looking the other way.
And then there are the labyrinths. Margaretha says that “no one knows who made them, but they were made in the ’60’s”. I was struck by the beauty and simplicity of these rock labyrinths. One is clearly heart-shaped and the other two follow basic Cretan patterns that I recognize as being similar to the labyrinth that Noe Valley Ministry painted on their floor a number of years ago. In a 2011 article in the San Francisco Chronicle, the mystery of the labyrinths is partially solved. Apparently one of them was created by Helen Mazariello in 1989 as a “gift to the world”. It didn’t identify which labyrinth is hers, however, so there is still some mystery involved – even after this article. A previous article in the Chron in 1999 alleges all sorts of amusing theories about these labyrinths from “witches” to “extra-terrestrials”. I think I agree with Margaretha that they were probably built by hippies in the 60’s.
While Margaretha would have been fine clamboring down to walk all the labyrinths in their separate pits in the quarry, I wasn’t feeling quite up to the task, so we only walked one of the labyrinths that was placed amidst low hills with a wonderful view of a Dr. Seuss-shaped tree.
I have walked the Chartres-style labyrinths in Grace Cathedral many times and have been to a couple of workshops about this ancient spiritual practice. Medieval labyrinths like the ones in Chartres cathedral in France were created for many reasons, but it is believed that many walked them in lieu of actually going to the Holy Land with the crusades. For these stationary pilgrims, walking the labyrinth was a metaphor for the perilous journey taken by crusaders. Not a particularly appealing purpose for labyrinth walking in my opinion, but it is a very appealing idea to walk a labyrinth as form of pilgrimage.
As we entered the labyrinth, I took a moment to center myself and asked my self the question, “what do I want to let go of?”. I then entered and Margaretha allowed some space and came in behind me. As I walked, I consciously let go of some neck pain and let my mind wander as to what else I could helpfully leave behind on my walk to the center. Along the way, as we passed each other on different parts of the path, Margaretha and I paused to simply be together before walking on our separate, yet same, path.
In the center, I simply prayed to be able to receive any wisdom or insight that might come while walking out. As my mind drifted, I thought about the mysterious origins of these labyrinths. Soon I was thinking about how little I know about most things that have been a great gift to me. This pattern of labyrinth has been appearing on the earth since pre-historic times, but this ancient practice is now available to me and it helps me clear my mind and heart. Walking a labyrinth is a spiritual practice that always leaves me renewed and often leads to new insight. Such a wonder that something so simple and ancient is still SO effective! It is a relief to realize that we are not always obliged to create something new for it to be re-newing.
Thank you to Margaretha for a perfect start to my first walking office hours, the wonderful conversation, and for showing Sibley to me. Now if anyone else wants to go walking, do let me know, I know some cool labyrinths I could show you! Or better yet, show me your favorite trails, even if it is simply a walk around the neighborhood. Blessings to you all and WALK ON! – Melinda