Biking as a Lenten practice

~an excerpt from "Biking as a Lenten practice" (SojoMail 3-01-2006 )
for full text: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=news.display_article&mode=C&NewsID=5266

"So I guess, as spiritual disciplines go, this one certainly fits the bill. But, while riding is considered "morally correct" and financially wise for Oregonians, many of us who are Christians ride for different reasons. Rising gas prices posted on placards on many corners are consistent reminders of the world at war, a war fueled by oil. As a Christian I have a responsibility to respond to the imitation of Christ not only with my interior life but with the ways I use the resources of God's creation and in how I think about war. There is no simpler gesture of Christ's peace than to stop purchasing from the gas station.

We are coming upon a new Lenten season, a time when the guilt of my failed spiritual disciplines will once again be edging in on my psyche. If you feel the same way, this season, when we prepare our hearts for the great mystery of Christ's death and resurrection, you might try on a different hat. Instead of ditching sweets, maybe try riding the bus, though it might tack 30 minutes onto your daily commute. That time can be used for prayer and reflection. Feeling ambitious? Think about setting your coffee money aside every day to invest in biodiesel or straight vegetable oil conversion. You might commit to 40 days of bicycle commuting, walking to the grocery store, or not driving all together.

Lent is the time when we have the opportunity to release convenience and ease for a life of dependence, community, and sacrifice. May this season in particular help us each remember our commitments to the church worldwide, the MCC workers and Christians in Iraq - including the Christian Peacemaker Team members still held hostage - and, ultimately, to the kingdom come."

Melissa Bixler is part of the L'Arche Nehalem community in Portland, Oregon, working as an assistant to developmentally disabled adults.