'The Celtic Christians had a name for the Holy Spirit that has always intrigued me. They called Him An Geadh-Glas, or the wild goose. I love the imagery and implications. The name hints at the mysterious nature of the Holy Spirit. Much like a wild goose, the Spirit of God cannot be tracked or tamed.I understand that "wild goose chase" typically refers to a purposeless endeavor without a defined destination. But chasing the wild goose is different. The promptings of the Holy Spirit can sometimes seem pretty pointless, but rest assured, God is working His plan. And if you chase the wild goose, He will take you places you could never have imagined going, by paths you never knew existed.' -- Wild Goose Chase, Mark Batterson
We read Sunday from Luke chapter 7, where John the Baptist is facing the end of his days, and wondering if he has been chasing the wild goose, or if he has been on a wild goose chase. He sends messengers to Jesus, asking Him if he is the one John has been expecting, or if he should be looking for someone else. Jesus sends word back: 'The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the dead are raised and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.' As if Jesus is saying, it's OK, John, I'm the real deal -- see what's happening! Lives are changed, miracles happen and words of hope are spread.
Andrew Greeley once commented: 'Once you domesticate Jesus, he isn't there any more. The domestic Jesus may be an interesting fellow, a good friend, a loyal companion, a helpful business associate, a gurantor of the justice of your wars. But one thing is certainly not: the Jesus of the New Testament. Once Jesus comforts your agenda, he's not Jesus anymore.'
Annie Dillard wrote something similar: 'One the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea of what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews.'
So, are you chasing the wild goose? I saw a slogan one time in Spanish that said: otro dia otra ventura. Translation: another day, another adventure. Do you see your relationship with God as an adventure? Are you wearing a crash helmet or a straw hat? Are you content with the status quo of 'going to Church', or are you seeking that wild goose? Now those are tough questions!
6 comments:
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Let us not "go to church" let us "be the church".
I think figuring out what that means is an "ecclesiastical" endeavor. I don't mean that in the Merriam-Webster way. I mean ecclesiastical in the sense of searching and discovering what works and what doesn't.
(I prefer $1s and $5s please.)
I personally feel like I am on a wild goose chase. The last week of school has been crazy and I have been complaining to myself, "I am so tired". That is helpful I know. I long to chase the wild goose and see where it takes me. i am looking forward to a peaceful summer and a summer of chasing the wild goose!
I've often thought that once we see Jesus as something comfortable, He no longer is the Jesus that we read about in the gospels.
I remember reading in John 6 where Jesus feeds the 5,000 and then tells them that they must eat His flesh to live forever. I cannot truly say that if I were there, I could accept this. Even now, seeing the whole picture, it is a terrible statement to make. I've never gone up to an unbeliever and said, "You need to eat Jesus' flesh to live forever!" They would never listen to me again.
I read in Luke 12:51 that Jesus, Himself says that He came to bring division on earth. How can we see it differently?
P.S. I don't want any cash for a response, I just now had time to respond.
We have a flock of Canadian geese at our ranch, year round. They've decided that Texas is home, for some reason.. maybe because my brother won't let anyone shoot at them. They are something to watch as they lift off and fly in formation between the two lakes. It's actually easier for them to fly in formation than it is alone..something about aerodynamics, maybe. A testimony to community? They do make a pretty big splash when they land as a group. My metaphor for the week.
Greg, I think that eat his flesh' comment has ruffled more feathers than most of scripture. Combine that with the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, that we are actually eating his flesh and drinking his blood in the eucharist, and you have a picture that is often difficult to stomach, literally.
The problem I see with seeing Jesus as a teddy bear is that I want to be comfortable most of the time. But He just never offered that! I don't know how to reconcile that in my brain. Should I live in a house, or in the forest, eating grubs like John the Baptist? How comfortable is too comfortable?
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