11-11-11 Meet Ben and Anna Wyse . . .
Sam, Anna, Martha and Ben Wyse
It baffles me why so many politicians who tout their Christian credentials are millionaires. They claim they’re willing to follow Jesus Christ straight to heaven, but they’re unwilling to follow His example here on earth and sacrifice a little luxury for the benefit of others. And — shame on them — they think all voters are as materialistic as they are.
I hosting a Friday, midday show on radio station WMRA called “The Spark,” during which I talk with creative people. Yes, I talk to artists, musicians, writers, but I also talk to people who live creatively – among them Ben Wyse and his wife, Anna; whom I’d like to offer as evidence that Americans are better persons of faith than our politicians give us credit for.
Ben and Anna, who have two young children, grew up steeped in the Mennonite faith traditions of peace, love, family, community and simplicity. Anna, a nurse, now chooses to be a stay-at-home mom. And Ben, who graduated from college with honors, has chosen to earn his family’s keep as a mobile bike repairperson, a job that Ben says “has me running all over town taking care of broken down bikes. And I do this on a bike with trailer in which I keep tools and parts.”
Ben and Anna Wyse live and raise children very frugally. I’m sure our current crop of Christian politicians – so determined to conflate patriotism with materialism – find their lifestyle choices baffling because they necessitate accepting that being a person of faith means practical things about how one lives and not just things about one’s destiny in the afterlife.
For example, one of the couple’s deeply held convictions is that peace is better than war. I think it’s safe to say, after my one conversation with him, that Ben Wyse sees our country’s dependency on foreign oil as a major energizer of war. “Back when I was a high school junior,” he says, “the first President Bush got us involved in a conflict in Iraq that’s ongoing. And that conflict is in some degree about Mideast oil, even though I think it’s far too simplistic to say that conflict was only about oil.
“I’m pushing forty now, and it’s increasingly hard for me to think about the amount of suffering our conflict with Iraq has caused in the lives of soldiers and their families and the Iraqi people. Even during the Clinton years, up to 5000 children died in Iraq every month because of sanctions. Yet when Lesley Stahl approached then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright with these numbers on 60 Minutes, she responded that it was worth it.
“The rate of attempted suicide among our veterans is at critical, unprecedented levels. Those suicides, I think, tell us something about how troubling the experiences of these young men and women have been.
“So, anyway, there’s all kinds of reasons for me to want to do what I can to help change our foreign policy, but it’s very easy to feel impotent about affecting change in something that big, and simply give up trying.”
Ben Wyse had biked for fun and transportation since he was a kid growing up on a farm. “I started to see using a bicycle as transportation – and facilitating other people’s use of bicycles for transportation – as something I could actually do to work toward a world with less suffering and violence.
Their kids, Ben says, have given him and Anna motivation to live their beliefs. “It’s one thing for us to talk to our children about what we believe in and what we care about. It’s another thing for us to live what we believe in. Then maybe we don’t have to talk as much about our beliefs and they’ll just see them.”
There. That’s it. That’s why I think Christian politicians should get to know Ben and Anna Wyse; take a lesson from them. They’re people of faith who, unlike our leaders, want to live their faith. And they are perfectly willing to give up material possessions and convenience if, by doing so, they help makes things better for the rest of us.
I truly believe Ben and Anna Wyse are not alone. Americans are a great and generous people.
Where is the politician who will dare to recognize this?
Like cecil, I’d like to know what Martha means by “person of faith”.
Point 1: I am usually a bit troubled by Martha’s use of the term “person of faith” because ALL people are persons of some kind of faith. Now Martha knows exactly what she has in mind when she uses the term, but I am not always certain about who she is including and who she is leaving out.
Point 2: Ben and Anna Wyse as described are certainly “persons of faith” – that is, they seem to have strong beliefs about right and wrong and about how to live. Of course the Christian politicians Martha refers to also have a faith – strong beliefs about what is right and wrong and about how to live. Now, it should be pointed out that there are Christian politicians and then there are CHRISTIAN politicains, and while certain “Christian” politicians are hypocriets, there are some non-christian politicians who might profit by learning from Ben and Anna.
Point 3: I am not a Christian, but I am a person of faith. I have strong beliefs about many things and my beliefs pretty much dictate my life (as do Ben’s and Anna,s and Martha’s). Many of my beliefs are probably much like Ben’s and Anna’s, but I do not choose to live exactly as they live. Does this make my life and my beliefs’ less worthy than theirs?
Point 4: Martha said, “…they (Ben and Anna) are perfectly willing to give up material possessions and convenience if, by doing so, they help makes things better for the rest of us……I (Martha) truly believe Ben and Anna Wyse are not alone. Americans are a great and generous people.”
I agree that Ben and Anna are not alone, and I agree that many (but not all) Americans are great (?) and generous (up to a point).
I believe we all need to work to make things better for ALL PEOPLE, but for most of us the only way we can change things is one person at a time.
Finally, a note attributed to St. Francis: Preach the gospel constantly. Use words if necessary.
Saint Francis
Ben and Anna are one of the best parts of America, but having many “Amish” friends myself, I love their belief in truth, honesty and peace. I wish things were that simple, but unfortunately they are not. Greed, oil and materialism are not the greatest source for war, but religion is. Ethnic cleansing, crusades, suicide bombs and the endless pursued of misguided faith in false ideologies has murdered more people and caused more wars than all other conflicts combined.
Peace cannot be created when desperate religious followers believes that doctrine is more important than human life. As long as there are people who believe that their “religion” is more important that human life or individual rights, we will need a military to protect individual freedoms from this evil force, it is not an option, but necessity.
Politicians are not any different that religious leaders, it is just human nature to find what attracts people and use it to get support. God gave use reasoning powers, intellect and common sense to see through the deceptions. Whether you seek to be rich or just live a simple life is an individual choice that is up to you…not religion, government or misguided social programs designed to put everyone in one box.
It is great that we live in a country that allows Ben and Anne to live like they want and have the ability to say what they dislike, but just remember it was the lives of thousands of brave faithful men and women that made it possible, and the politicians need to remember this also.
Nice profile of one of the families of which Harrisonburg (and indeed the whole world) can be most proud!