Lester \u201971 and Mary Beth \u201972 Lind were undergraduates at EMU when the environmental movement was taking off. They were on campus when the first Earth Day was celebrated. They took part when the college offered a January term focused on environmental issues. And they drew inspiration from a popular saying of the time \u2013 \u201clive simply so others can simply live.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decided to take that little phrase fairly seriously,\u201d says Lester, who returned to EMU to earn an MA in religion in 1994. \u201cSimplicity grew from a concern for the environment and justice to become a guiding principle of our faith.\u201d<\/p>\n
And so, not long after they graduated, the Linds settled in Harman, West Virginia, near Mary Beth\u2019s childhood home, putting their commitment to simplicity into action. Working part-time jobs, they lived a little above the poverty line, which was comfortable enough for their tastes.<\/p>\n
They grew much of their own food, and for a long period, plenty of surplus produce for restaurants, grocery stores and farmers\u2019 markets. They chose not to have children, and if they ever ended up with more money than they needed, they gave it away \u2013 all decisions guided by the Linds\u2019 commitment to simplicity and stewardship, and all decisions that have left them with a deep sense of satisfaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a lot of hard work, and it wasn\u2019t easy, but it was worth it \u2026the reward is great,\u201d says Lester.<\/p>\n
Now, he and Mary Beth live in a house they built in Philippi, West Virginia, closer to their congregation of Philippi Mennonite Church. One of the ways they tried to incorporate sustainability into their new house was through its one-floor design, meant to make household life easier as the two of them age.<\/p>\n
As that time approaches, decisions the Linds made earlier in life about income and livelihood have presented them with new challenges, like finding a way to fund retirement after a life spent avoiding the accumulation of money. Without insurance through an employer, healthcare costs have also become of increasing concern.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur values of simplicity seem incongruent with a healthcare system that is not sustainable,\u201d Lester says.<\/p>\n
These realities, the Linds say, have significant implications for how people can pursue lifestyles based on simplicity. The Mennonite church, Lester adds, could \u2013 and should \u2013 provide better leadership in alternative ways to fund health care and retirement.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the Linds remain as committed as ever to the simple lives they chose 40 years ago. \u201cThe value of simplicity continues to form who we are and how we live,\u201d Lester says. \u201cIf we had it to do all over again? Yes, we would.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"