Marya Hart
Contact maryahartmusic@gmail.com
Photo Credit: Travis Norvell
Travis Norvell, aka The Pedaling Pastor, presides at Judson Memorial Baptist Church in South Minneapolis. He began serious bicycling in 2013 and has since become an advocate for biking, pedestrians, and transit. His book “Church on the Move” draws on his experiences to advocate for church renewal and social ministry. We spoke in March. His remarks have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Biking puts me in touch with people and nature, and puts me in a good mood. My job is full of death and dying, pain and frustration, but after a ride home at the end of the day, I arrive at my house clear-headed and lighter, and I can be present with my family and neighbors in ways that I couldn’t if I was in a car.
I have a “Clergy” license plate on my bike and it’s a great conversation starter. I love the interactions I have with other bike riders, walkers, or people on the bus. It may seem minimal but chit chat can make you more connected to your neighbor. Jesus was asking us to be more neighborly; that seems like a pretty biblical theme.
Biking makes the heart softer, which enables a more authentic spiritual practice. You feel more present with someone when you are in motion with them. Most biblical stories, whether it’s Abraham or Jesus, are walking stories.
People who look like me talk a great game about social justice, but how many hours do they spend with those whose backs are to the wall? We need a voluntary movement to support them. Without it, I don’t understand how our beloved community ever comes to fruition. This is a call to be involved in a different way.
My hope is for people to think of houses of faith as places where they can learn to ride a bike. Our church hosts bike classes for community members, starting with the basics.
The environmental issue is so gigantic that we feel helpless. We need small joys to be able to continue the work. Biking is one small, but powerful joy.