We have a treasure right here in Arlington. The Bikeway. 

It’s something that’s used by hundreds of thousands of people each year. Folks commute back and forth to work on it. Others are walking or jogging there. Families teach their kids about cycling or being out in nature. The always-amazing rollerbladers navigate its bumps with astonishing ease.  Visitors to the Boston area—some from other countries—enjoy the sites as they pass through the three historic towns that it incorporates: Arlington, Lexington and Bedford.

And, of course, it’s the domain of cyclists.  Whether solo or in groups, cyclists of all levels—from the neophyte to the enthusiast to the advanced racer—use it.  For some of us, it’s a gateway to adventures that lie beyond, perhaps the northwestern towns or our neighboring state of New Hampshire.  For others, the path’s 10-plus miles hold all that they want.

Sometimes, particularly on nice weekends, it’s so busy that it can give the Southeast Expressway a good run for its money. Yet at other moments, the Bikeway is blissfully quiet.

This path knows no age, race, gender, or socio-economic limitations.

It’s a microcosm of our world. It provides a metaphor for life and its possibilities.

And in this metaphor, there are endless ways for each of us to express qualities that I see as essentially spiritual. Qualities such as freedom, athleticism, courtesy, camaraderie.  Breaking limitations of how we perceive ourselves and others.  Striving for higher achievements and understandings. Expressing joy and even childlikeness.

I often find myself praying and thinking about life’s issues, big and small.

And, there’s always an opportunity to practice the Golden Rule of loving our neighbor as ourselves, a rule that transcends individual religious and spiritual traditions.

The Minuteman is indeed a path—a journey—in which we can bless others and find ourselves being blessed by in return.

What does the Bikeway mean to you?