Exploration & Discernment
The primary way that I’ve been getting around and becoming familiar with Denver is by riding my bicycle. This city is an ideal home for bikers, too—between the bike-friendly public transit, the abundant bike lanes and the extensive trail system you can pretty much get anywhere. I’ve found that biking these trails provides some of the best space for contemplative time and personal reflection. It recently dawned on me that there are some similarities between those exploratory rides and the journey that has been my discernment of religious life. The trail infrastructure in and around Denver is excellent—it’s well-planned and carefully thought-out and clearly took years to develop. Similarly, the discernment process that I’ve experienced with the Sinsinawa Dominicans has been solidly founded, well-developed and thoughtfully designed over time. My first time on a trail, there are often mysterious forks where the signage at a given juncture is confusing...