Labyrinth prayer walk of healing for Japan scheduled for Sunday, March 20

An open labyrinth walk of healing will be held in the chapel of Trinity Church in Menlo Park from 9:oo to 10:00 am and 12:00 to 1:00 pm on Sunday, March 20 in support of the people and land of Japan. Community members of any and all faiths are welcome to attend.

The walk will be facilitated by the Rev. Frannie Hall Kieschnick, Trinity’s senior associate rector, who will present background about the labyrinth as an ancient, sacred tool and introduce the walk.

The local walk will be one of many held around the world on the same day, part of the Global Healing Response, a Veriditas-sponsored program that was introduced in 2005. The GHR uses the labyrinth as a unified response for healing and hope in case of an emergency or disaster. It was first used after Hurricane Katrina and has also been used in response to disasters in Myanmar, China, Haiti, and Chile.

Various religious traditions — both ancient and contemporary — have used labyrinths as tools for prayer, introspection, clarity and peace. Many different styles and formats of labyrinths will be used on Sunday — permanent, portable, outdoor, indoor, large, and small.

“It is our hope that the unified power of healing will be felt by people all over the world, and especially in Japan,” said a spokesperson.

Photo by Chris Gulker