Meet Ben Wideman, first in our get-to-know-the-riders series. The 2016 PA-to-DC ride will take place April 29 -May 3, though Ben will have to return to State College after Orbisonia, PA. Ben was a 2015 through-rider.
In my role as a campus pastor at Penn State my work is primarily focused on issues of peace and social justice and how faith and spirituality is tied in to these things. It is meaningful work, however there is a very real challenge in moving from philosophical conversations to actual practical experiences that create a better world.
I’m drawn to experiences like the PA-IPL Bike Trip because it does just that. It takes a philosophical idea (that people of faith should care about our environment) and provides an opportunity to take an actual real step toward living out that philosophy in a practical way in our world.
This ride acts as a visible reminder that people of faith care about the environment – and that they care enough to ride all the way from central Pennsylvania to Washington DC! The ride builds relationships across a diverse group of participants – not only those who chose to ride, but also all the people who engage the riders at stops along the journey. It offers riders a way to Continue reading 2016 Rider Profile: Pastor Ben Wideman