«A Cyclist Spirituality – Spiritual lessons learned from riding a bike» («Spirituality of a Cyclist – Lessons of Spirituality Learned from Riding a Bicycle»), is the recently published book by Father John Bullock, LC, a text that invites us to find a motivator for discipline in dealing with Jesus through cycling.
Who is P. John Bullock, LC?
I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I am an only child. My mother is originally from Austria and my father, now deceased, from Texas. They met in Houston, and I spent most of my childhood there.
Since I was 11 years old, I remember thinking about the priesthood, but I didn’t discover the Legionaries of Christ until shortly after college. I joined the Legion in 1992 in Cheshire, CT, but since I speak German, I ended up doing my novitiate in Germany, then my humanities studies in Salamanca (Spain), and my apostolic internships in Germany and Poland.
I was ordained a priest in 2002, and I have worked in California, Cincinnati, and currently in Houston. I have worked in youth, university, and local pastoral ministries of Regnum Christi. I can say that I love my faith, my priestly vocation as a Legionary in service to the Church, and all my family in Regnum Christi. I enjoy working with people and I love riding my bike.
Where did the idea of equating spirituality with cycling originate? And why cycling and not athletics, swimming, or another sport?
I had a strong interest in cycling since I was 14, initially to travel across Europe. However, the interest quickly turned into competing in races. I participated in some local races during my adolescence and wanted to become a professional cyclist. Eventually, my knees ended that dream, but my passion for cycling continued.
Once I joined the Legion, I thought that riding a bike was a lost love. But 12 years ago, I tried cycling again, and to my delight, I was able to ride a bit. Now I try to ride regularly, about 3 times a week.
Not everyone can do cycling, or can they? Do you believe that cycling is a sport discipline that anyone can do? And applying it to spiritual life, how do you associate this aspect of sports discipline, for example, with prayer?
I do believe that anyone who sets their mind to it can ride a bike; but cycling as a sport is mainly growing in the United States. Many people have caught the cycling bug, whether mountain biking or road cycling. You don’t have to compete formally to be an avid cyclist. Here, you see people of all ages riding bikes, and many do so with passion and dedication.
From my perspective, St. Paul already two millennia ago connected this book with sport and spiritual life, pointing out that our spiritual journey, like a foot race, involves a goal, effort, and the need for discipline (cf. 1 Cor 9:24-25). I believe comparisons can be countless. This book shares some spiritual ideas obtained from the perspective of cycling, covering topics such as bike adjustment, drafting (when the cyclist saves energy by riding behind another cyclist in a low-pressure zone), collisions and accidents, and other aspects.
Is the book aimed at a specific audience? Is it for an ordinary Christian who only goes to Mass on Sundays or for someone who already has a specific journey or vocation in the Church?
While I have heard from several people who are not cyclists saying they liked my book, the main audience is enthusiastic cyclists. Statistically speaking, about 23% of those cyclists in the United States are Catholics. The hope is to help those passionate about cycling see the connection with faith to foster it. Most of these people will be laypeople, but I have also received positive responses from some Legionaries of Christ.
In your pastoral dealings with people, what difficulties do you see in spiritual life that hinder serious work, discipline, or habits to carry out a spirituality?
I have worked pastorally with people of all ages, and I have noticed that a major obstacle to living the faith is the lack of discipline. There is a lack of consistency in prayer life, in a life program, and sometimes even in the practice of the sacraments. This passionate cyclist subgroup will not have problems with willpower. You cannot be a serious cyclist without the willpower to train regularly. The underlying issue here will be awakening that same passion for faith as one has for cycling.
What would you say to those who simply say they don’t have time for spiritual life, or see it as something outdated, surpassed?
When someone experiences the love of Jesus Christ through prayer, Eucharistic adoration, or some other spiritual or human experience, then motivation will come from within the person, from the heart. And you find time to spend with the person you love, without excuses.
The book «A Cyclist Spirituality – Spiritual lessons learned from riding a bike» can be obtained in Paperback and Kindle formats, currently only in English. It can be purchased at this link. For Italy, here.
