2021 Bike Trip anticipation

At this time of year I can almost feel my leg muscles start twitching in anticipation of the pedal strokes needed to get to Washington DC. Each time that I have ridden this trip has been slightly different - on my first ride everything was brand new and a little outside of my comfort zone. One year I rode just a partial trip, and another time I rode with the inaugural Philadelphia ride. Two years ago we had to be re-routed because of some late hosting changes. The weather is always a little different on the ride, and we never quite know which element is going to be the most challenging for our group of riders. Yet each day we experience a vibrancy and joy that is hard to articulate to those who have not done something like this before.

One of the best things about going on this ride for several years has been to see the political shift in the conversation around climate change during our hill visits. I remember my first years including conversations with politicians or political aides who refused to take us seriously because they did not acknowledge that climate change was real. At this point almost everyone has come around to admitting that change is occurring

, and that humans are at least in some part responsible for this change. There is still much debate about ways forward among the halls of Capitol Hill, but I know that the voices of concern from our congregations, friends, and family members that the riders carry with them as we meet with our representatives continue to shape the conversation.

My hope is that the vulnerability that so many of us are experiencing during COVID19 reminds us and inspires us to be working for a better world that takes the health and life of all its residents into consideration. Thank you for supporting the incredible work of PA-IPL, and peace go with us all as we pedal toward a better earth and better future!