Spiral or Viral?

If you were to walk into my home office, you would be greeted with many images of spirals.  There on the wall hangs my perpetual Art calendar and many of the watercolor-collage tiles I created to mark the individual days of the current month have spirals as their central images.  On a display shelf is a beautiful blue-green glass bowl with a spiral image that winds down towards the center.  Just below it is a canvas that is half sculpture, half painting, The Beginning by the artist Ginger Annette, full of gold-tipped textured paint-spirals that gradually lead the eye to a central starting place.  One of my favorite children’s books, Swirl by Swirl by author Joyce Sidman and illustrator Beth Krommes, occupies a prominent place on my library shelves. Detailed paintings of the many spiral shapes found in nature dominate the pages and remind me that this ancient symbol originated in our beautiful world—the spiral-patterned flower designs, sea shells, and unfurling fern leaves—all repeat the distinctive shape. 

I first encountered the spiral in a spiritual context about 20 years ago as a participant in a labyrinth walk at the church where I worked as a school director.  As a part of Holy Week, a large sturdy canvas imprinted with the spiral-shaped labyrinth design found in the Chartres cathedral was laid out on the floor of the fellowship center.  Information about the symbolism of labyrinths over the centuries and ideas for using this walk as a tool for spiritual reflection, meditation or prayer was provided to help those for whom this practice was stretching the boundaries of religious ritual and comfort.  One afternoon before heading home for my long commute, I ventured into this new way of worship, a way which is rooted in centuries of practice by thousands of spiritual seekers, from the 13^th century limestone floor of the Chartres cathedral and further back to more ancient times that precede Christianity.  There is no puzzle to solve or confusing paths to choose as you walk a labyrinth.  Labyrinths are not mazes, deliberately created to lead you into dead ends or endless circles.  Labyrinths are designed to be walked from the outside edges to the inner circle or space by travelling a single sacred pathway. There is one way in, and one way out, and as you arrive in the center, you may do as you wish — rest for a while, pray or meditate, breathe deeply or immediately turn and begin the journey outward. Christians use labyrinths but have no exclusive claim to the practice that is embraced by many religions as well as those who do not identify with any faith tradition.   While not all spirals are labyrinths, and not all labyrinths spirals, the practice of walking while we center our thoughts and connect ourselves in a spiritual way offers the opportunity to occupy our bodies in order to free our minds to open and our souls to seek… whatever we might be seeking; to experience…. whatever might await us as we walk the spiral way.  That walk was the first of many.  Gradually the spiral shape became another means of helping me focus upon questions or decisions, to examine emotions and beliefs, and to enrich my own spiritual and life journey as I walk and think and sing and pray.

Spiral… or Viral? This time in our world’s history is unprecedented in modern times. We have a new, unwelcome meaning to our internet term “going viral” as the spread of an unseen but frightening virus is impacting all of our lives.  Whether we live in a relatively isolated rural area or jammed up close to millions of others, we are all vulnerable to this physical threat, and just as vulnerable to the temptation to “go viral” ourselves.   Our emotions, our actions and our thoughts can quickly spread out of control as we experience a new kind of fear of the unknown.  Our daily lives are disrupted, and our ideas of safety and security shatter, breaking into hundreds of pieces much like my spiral-shaped glass bowl would break if I dropped it on my office floor.  Each day brings more news of unwelcome restrictions and dire predictions.  There is a great temptation to shatter, to break into disunity and destruction, to take on fear and to spread it as rapidly as this virus is currently spreading.

I find myself drawn closer and closer to the images of spirals through my writing, my art, and my own spiritual practices. As I look at the various spirals that surround me here in this room in a house in central Texas, I am far, far away from Chartres,or from the labyrinth walk that I first experienced decades ago.  This is a very Tender Place, a place filled with a new urgency to uncover a depth of meaning into our everyday encounters with the Divine. And for the first time in my lifetime, I cannot connect in person to my community. The potential for panic, depression and despair are quite nearby.  I can easily go viral.  My anxiety can surge and swell and do damage to myself and others within our shared community.

Those feelings begin to abate, replaced with a sense of calm that begins to settle upon me as I picture walking towards the strong center of Divine Light that can shed insight and wisdom into my life. I pick up two small calendar tiles, ones I painted months ago when this pandemic could not even be imagined much less become a reality.  I drew these tiles in the shapes of that ancient Chartres labyrinth, painted in the blues and greens that have always soothed and comforted me. In the central space of one tile, I wrote The Fullness of God.  In the other, Live the Question.  Both seem good messages for me this day; both seem good goals to guide a sacred pathway.  With a deliberate turning from the viral spread of anger, anxiety and fear, I begin to walk the spiral way by tracing the small circular shapes with my fingers, focusing on the beauty and goodness, hope and strength that are as genuine as our need for realistic gut-checks and cautious health practices during this serious time.  As my fingers move, I picture the priceless gifts of nature that still surround us, the goodness of many people and the efforts of skilled professionals who are researching new treatments and cures. I hear the words of Julian of Norwich—All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well.   I walk, and I sing, and the heaviness in my spirit eases.

There is a deep and authentic resource of calm and courage for all of us that we can tap into, no matter our belief system, no matter our circumstances. This faith, this center, this Spirit will not shatter. Spiral… or viral? I do not have pat answers or saccharine-sweet homilies to offer. I am no expert or spiritual counselor, just a fellow human who is seeking direction and companionship during a confusing time. I am learning as I walk. I invite you to enter this spiral way, this Tender Place, with me, to walk purposefully and turn courageously towards a shared and life-giving place. 

In response to this serious and life-altering time in our collective and personal lives, I will be posting entries in a new section entitled The Spirit Spirals.  I invite you to read, to respond and comment, and to connect with each other as we journey together over the coming weeks.

Spiral Photo by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash