Retired pastor Jack Harnish invites us to discover a place where we can go to clear the chaos and clutter from our minds and find peace.
JOHN E. HARNISH
Retired Pastor, Michigan Conference
The labyrinth has ancient roots in Greek mythology, Druid traditions, and early Christian worship. The oldest known labyrinth in a Christian church was discovered in a fourth-century basilica in Algeria.
The most famous labyrinth is in the Chartres Cathedral in France, built in the 1200s. It measures a little over 42 feet in diameter, making it the largest ever built inside a church. If stretched out, the path measures 856 feet, making it one of the longest labyrinths in the world.
Today, the labyrinth is seeing renewed use as a place of meditation for Christians and non-Christians alike. The beauty of the labyrinth is that its constantly turning path draws you to a clear center, then leads you back out again. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth offers a single continuous path with no dead-ends.
Because of its circuitous route, you can’t walk a labyrinth in a hurry. The only way to walk it is slowly, one step, one turn at a time, until you reach the center, then make your way back to where you started. The labyrinth takes you out of the hectic race to get somewhere, inviting you to slow down and simply experience the journey.
There is a familiar hymn with lyrics by Shirley Erena Murray (listen and sing along) that speaks to our need to step back from the constant demands of our lives and discover a place of calm amid the chaos of our world:
Come and find the quiet center in the crowded life we lead,
Find the room for hope to enter, find the frame where we are freed:
Clear the chaos and the clutter, clear our eyes, that we can see
All the things that really matter, be at peace, and simply be.
Summer is a good time to take a walk to find the quiet center in your life.
Of course, you don’t need a labyrinth. My neighborhood is blessed with numerous walking and biking trails around the lakes and over the sand dunes. Wherever you live, you can find a place to take a walk to clear the chaos and clutter and rediscover what really matters. Find that space where you can be at peace and simply be.
On this beautiful June day, come find your quiet center.
The publication of this article was made possible thanks to generous financial gifts from local United Methodist churches in Michigan through Ministry Shares. Thank you! Learn about the impact of Ministry Shares on mission and ministry in Michigan and around the world.
Last Updated on June 24, 2026