Newsletter article from Dr. Scott Elliott

Bon Courage!

In June, some friends and I rode bicycles and camped from Cumberland, Maryland to

Washington, DC. I was in my happy place for a week. The love I have for riding my bike and

sleeping outside is beyond description.

The adventure brought to mind two very popular proverbs. The first is from Laozi: “A

a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” In this instance, it begins with a single

pedal push. It’s might seem like quite a feat to ride 200 miles, but this 200-mile trip was the

result of five day-trips ranging from 24 to 48 miles each. And those day-trips were broken up

into morning excursions to lunch and afternoon rides to dinner. And those jaunts to lunch and

dinner was broken up by snack stops, water breaks, and pauses to ponder scenic vistas. In

other words, we didn’t really do a 200-mile ride; we did a whole bunch of little rambles.

The second proverb comes from Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in the same river twice,

for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.” This was my second time riding this

particular trail, it was a beautiful blend of the familiar and the strange. I recognized certain

stretches, segments, landmarks, and forgotten favorite spots. At the same time, I was surprised

every day by things I would’ve sworn I’d never seen before. There were changes in the terrain,

in my gear, in my body, and in my state of being. And in both the known and unknown, I was

aware of my past and present self, and I was conscious of the intimacy and distance between

the two.

Two members of our crew had done this sort of thing numerous times. Another had only

done it once, and that had been years ago. One had never done anything even close to this. We

all had to ride our own ride, as the saying goes. But we were all in it together, and we all

finished. This is not unlike the community of faith, growing into the kingdom of God and being

renewed inwardly day by day. It takes time. Nothing remains the same. And we’re all in it

together. Matthew’s gospel concludes with Jesus promising to be with us always. We change.

The landscape changes. Circumstances change. Everything fluctuates perpetually. But Jesus

Christ, our Lord, remains with us continuously, forever and always, no matter where we are or

who we are on the journey. Praise be to God.

Peace, Scott Elliott