Sometimes, I think we take for granted who’s included and excluded.
When you’re organizing a bike ride, it’s easy to think about people who cycle regularly. People who are familiar with roads and trails, who understand the etiquette.
What about those who ride once or twice a year? Who aren’t comfortable on roads? Who don’t really know about trail etiquette?
What about a family with several kids? Someone who rides a handcycle?
You might not mean to exclude people, but the route and distance automatically leaves some folks out.
So, you do all you can to accommodate as many folks as possible. And some of the elite cyclists might be less comfortable, or might even drop out.
I’m okay with that. Yesterday’s quote:
Let’s be excluded for who we include, rather than being included for whom we exclude.
+ + +
I think I’ve told this story before. I was invited to speak at a large church in Florida. The pastor’s wife was quite proud of their brand-new building, and she explained that the architect originally designed a ramp to the stage. She eliminated the ramp because it wrecked the symmetry of the design.
“Besides,” she said, “no one in a wheelchair ever needs to get to the stage.”
She told me that as four guys prepared to carry me up the stairs to the stage.
I don’t think she meant to be mean or exclusive. She just didn’t see what was right in front of her.
+ + +
The FREEDOM TOUR goes out of our way to include everyone. We even added a 5K walk for non-cyclists.
We’re not an elite cycling event. Colorado has plenty of those.
We’re a community gathered around Jesus to support a group of kids rescued from human trafficking.
In that kind of community, Jesus opens his arms wide. “Everybody’s welcome!”
EVERYBODY.