Just in Time for World Labyrinth Day

(For background information about why I'm in Jeju, please refer to previous posts.)

I'll be on a plane headed back to the U. S. on World Labyrinth Day, May 3, when thousands of people will be walking labyrinths all over the world. Walk As One At 1:00 is the annual theme, creating a rolling wave of peaceful energy which spreads across the planet, from time zone to time zone.  According to the World-Wide Labyrinth Locator, there's not a labyrinth on Jeju island or South Korea, for that matter; so even if I were here,  I would "walk" in a different way. I planned to print a paper labyrinth from the internet and trace the path with my finger that day, somewhere between Seoul and Dallas. Still, I knew I would miss the experience of an actual walk. If only... 

Can you guess where this is going? Let me tell you the story.

On Good Friday I drove to St. Isidore Catholic Retreat Center, about 20 minutes from our apartment to stroll through the peaceful gardens and eat lunch at the small café. Never one to pass up a gift shop, I stopped by on my way back to the parking lot. It was filled mostly with religious items – rosary beads, crosses, art work of Madonna and Child – and an interesting display of woolen blankets, with a Chartres labyrinth on them. 

"Why a labyrinth?" I wondered, rubbing my fingers over the familiar design. Surely other religious symbols would be more appropriate for this setting – unless –
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I hesitated only briefly before I picked up one of the blankets and walked to the check out counter where a clerk was waiting on another customer. While they spoke in Korean, I quickly typed my question in the Google Translate app, anticipating that she might not speak English. When it was my turn, I pointed to the labyrinth on the blanket and showed her my phone, "Is there a labyrinth in this area?" I waited, for what seemed far longer than the mere seconds it took her to answer, expecting that she would shake her head,  look totally confused, or perhaps even laugh. But instead, she motioned for me to follow her to a wall map of the Center and its grounds.  She pointed to a small circular pattern and said one word, "labyrinth."

I was stunned! What were the chances that there was actually a labyrinth, just across the parking lot? I bowed and repeated the only word I know in Korean, "Thank you," and walked toward a wall of lava rocks about 100 yards in the distance.  I approached it slowly still convinced that there was not a labyrinth on the other side, that perhaps the map was old, had not been updated with current information, or that something had been lost in translation between the clerk and me.     
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I took three steps beyond the wall and discovered....

A full-size,11-circuit Chartres labyrinth!!  
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Sudden rush of joy, disbelief, wonder. I felt like I had encountered a friend in an unexpected place.  I circled the labyrinth's edge to a rock at the entrance and sat, simply sat in silence.  
In time I would journey the labyrinth's path, take photos of it, journal my reflections. But in that present moment, I savored the overwhelming emotion of gratitude.

On May 2nd, I'll return and walk the St. Isidore labyrinth, a day before the official World Labyrinth Day. But ultimately, walking a labyrinth is a walk of peace, no matter what day of the year.
I invite you to find a labyrinth in your area (check the Locator), print one to trace with your finger, download the app Labyrinth Journey on your phone or tablet, or join an online labyrinth walk with Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress of Veriditas. 

I wish you peace wherever your path is leading you. May you be open to possibilities, even in the most unlikely of places.
​Twylla

FYI - I have submitted the St. Isidore labyrinth to the administrator of the Labyrinth Locator so others can easily find it. 

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