After 10 days on the road I finally reached my destination at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. The journey was enjoyable and exhausting, inspiring and tedious – peddle, peddle, peddle – awfull and awe filled. I have a few things yet to do now; total up the miles traveled, clean and pack the gear for shipping home, most importantly filerting through all of the sights, sound and even smells to discern what insights to bring into focus what messages – if any – G-d may have for me. The end of my journey was rather symbolic in this regard!
I had high hopes, maybe even unrealistic expectations, that every thing would be clear and in focus when I arrived at the end of my journey. I envisioned riding into San Francisco and being able to see the city spread out from the hills of the Presidio in all its beauty. Instead the city was badly fogged in and I ended up riding through a misting rain througt the last 20 miles of my ride.
I envisioned having enough energy and daylight left to ride beyond the north end of the Golden Gate to the top of Mt. Tam. (My Californian readers will understand how unrealisitic such an expectation truly was.) Instead both my legs and the battery on my headlight gave out at the bridge.
Mostly, I envisioned that the spiritual retreat aspect of my journey might be tied up in a neat little package at the end. Instead, I have a series of disjointed thoughts and images that I sense have significance, but they are not clearly enough in focus yet to know whether they have any meaning. Symbollically the south end of the bridge was so socked by the fog that nothing could be seen. By the time I’d reached the north end, however, the fog had begun to thin out and I could begin to see emerging details.
I’m not surprised. I have mentioned the illusive nature of the Divine througout these blog posts. Like Jacob in Genesis we have to wrestle with G-d sometimes. Jacob did not prevail against G-d, but neither did he let go. At the end of the struggle Jacob was different – even his named was changed to ‘Israel’. As I have struggled throught the physical challenge of this ride, I have no dobt that I’ll be changed. Maybe not dramatically, but certainly.
Totals and more photos will be forthcoming. I have struggled to update these blogs on a smart phone. This isn’t easy with my fat fingers. When I have access to a proper computer I will add photos, edit and update. I’ve enjoyed my adventure, but now am looking forward to returning home.
Pastor Todd Hammond 