6/23/2010

Our Ride from Cape Flattery, Washington, to Key West, Florida, is officially one quarter finished, both in days and miles.   As you and I both know, this Ride is about poverty, awareness of and action against; yet, here we are in the Madison Valley, one of the most beautiful valleys, in one of the most beautiful states, during the most beautiful season.   What is God saying?

The first thing St. Ignatius asks of retreatants making the Spiritual Exercises is to consider the beauty of Creation.  In the pondering of Creation, we behold the absolute artistry, goodness, imagination and love of God.  Ignatius himself was particularly fond of considering the stars.  Is it conceivable that God is saying to the Cycling for Change Team:   “See my love.   See my love for you.  Behold the perfect beauty of my creative love.   Do you see my affection for you?  Now, what does that love compel you to do? “

In viewing and cycling through all this loveliness, it occurs to me that God created mountains, rivers, and birds.  God created the clouds, and sun, and the stars, and the moon.  God created the deer and elk and bear, not to mention the trout, eagle, and osprey.  God with God’s own infinite mind created these things.  But God did not create poverty.  It takes the small mind of humankind to create poverty.   It further occurs to me that when one cyclist follows closely behind another, the one following in the first rider’s wake saves about 25% of their energy.   For me, this is yet one more way to understand the importance of working together to end poverty.  Working together allows for much more energy and is precisely what is needed if we are to attack poverty.

Now I do not know what is in store for us for the rest of this Ride.  But I can say  that in this ride I have fallen more deeply in love with God.   Any God that is capable of creating such beauty as sun, moon, and stars not only has my love and devotion, but that God has my gratitude.  That gratitude will be expressed in doing whatever --  whatever -- that God asks of me, even working to end poverty.

Ask the loveliness of the earth,

Ask the loveliness of the sea,

Ask the loveliness of the wide airy spaces,

Ask the loveliness of the sky,

Ask the order of the stars,

Ask the sun, making the daylight with its beams.

Ask the moon tempering the darkness of the night that follows,

Ask the living things that move in the water…

And all these lovely but immutable things,

Who has made them, but Beauty immutable!   (St. Augustine)   

- Fr. Matt