Have you ever walked a Labyrinth in a church?

It is a way of reflecting, meditating and praying that began in the Middle Ages. Those who could not go on a physical pilgrimage to Jerusalem went on a symbolic pilgrimage to “Jerusalem” by walking through a maze marked on the floor of a cathedral.

When I walked through such a maze, the turning points in the maze were marked by white candles.

Each candle was labeled with a fruit of the Holy Spirit such as love, joy and peace. (Galatians 5:22-23).

A large white candle In the center of the maze marked the goal of my pilgrimage—the “true light that gives light to everyone.” (John 1:9).

Each person will experience different insights as they walk through the twisting maze while reflecting, meditating and praying. Each person will experience different insights each time they walk through a Labyrinth.

I’ve only walked through a Labyrinth once. I experienced two main insights.

First, the Holy Spirit is our guide through the Labyrinth. At key turning points in our lives, the Holy Spirit guides us into the ways that yield the fruit of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23).

In this Way, the Holy Spirit fulfills the promises Jesus made to his disciples during the Last Supper.

The Holy Spirit will be an “advocate to help [us] and be with [us] forever—the Spirit of truth. . . . [She] lives with [us] and will be in [us].” (John 14:16-17).

This “Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in [the] name [of Jesus] will teach [us] all things and will remind [us] of everything [Jesus] said . . ..” (John 14:26). She “will guide [us] into all the truth.” (John 16:13).

My second main insight came when I would be walking in exactly the opposite direction from another person on an adjacent pathway of the Labyrinth of Light. Yet we were all going toward the Light. We were simply at a different point in our pilgrimage.

As Paul wrote “[t]o all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people”: Let us not quarrel “over disputable matters.” (Romans 1:7; 14:1).

Instead, “[a]ccept the one whose faith is weak.” (Romans 14:1).  “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak . . ..” (Romans 15:1).

Leave the judging to God who knows each person’s heart. (1 Samuel 16:7; 1 Kings 8:39; Jeremiah 17:10; Romans 14:4). “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.” (1 Corinthians 4:5).

“Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (Romans 14:12). “For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat” (Romans 14:10). Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another.” (Romans 14:13).

Instead, “may the God of hope fill [us] with all joy and peace as we trust in him, so that [we] may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13).

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In recent decades, the use of male and female pronouns in English has been changing to become more gender inclusive. Since the image of God is both male and female (Genesis 1:27), and since the Father and the Son are most naturally represented by male pronouns, I decided to use female pronouns for the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is our Advocate. This is the opposite of Satan, who is our Adversary and Accuser.

To learn about the Labyrinth of Darkness, please read my blog “The Labyrinth of Darkness”.

To learn how we light the world, “‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty” (Matthew 5:14,16; Zechariah 4:6), please read my book Lighting the World.