St James’ Episcopal Church - Jackson Mississippi

Trivia question:  Does “Cleanliness is next to godliness” appear in the Bible?  The Bible does talk about being clean, having things in order, and avoiding chaos, but is that famous phrase from the Bible? 

On the way back from our recent trip to Texas, we stopped to walk a labyrinth in Jackson, Mississippi.  The one at St James’ Episcopal Church.  It was the most well-kept I have .  Also unusual, this labyrinth was outside in front of the church so everyone would see it most being hidden out back.  Everything about, and around, this one, was beautiful, in part because it was so orderly and neat.  Someone must look after it weekly, if not daily.  That orderliness gave me peace in and of itself. 

One of my quirks is that I function best when all horizontal surfaces in the house are clean and orderly.  When I create scrapbook pages or make cards, everywhere around me becomes quite a mess with snippets of paper, glue dots, and stickers.  When I am done with one page or card, I must clear the entire area of everything that is unnecessary.  Then I can begin again.  So, seeing, walking, and praying my way through this labyrinth brought me great joy and peace. 

Trivia answer:  The Bible does not say, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” The cleanliness and order the Bible speaks about refers to our hearts, souls, and how we act.  I do, however, believe a clean house that is in order creates peace in our lives (unless it is just another of my many quirks). 

This labyrinth also reminded me of how God takes care of all creation, including us, which then challenges us to take care of all creation keeping it neat, orderly, and thriving.   There is a lot of talk these days about “forest bathing” which simply is being outside in nature.  While we are out there, may we take good care of it, too.