by Marti Fischer

[The “Wild Goose” is the name in Celtic Christianity for the Holy Spirit, the person of the Trinity which is the indwelling Spirit, the immanence of the divine in the real world. The Wild Goose is the balance and compliment to the transcendent God-the-Father. The Holy Spirit is the fire of inspiration, the creative power of love, the source and sustainer of community, the untamable wildness of hope. When we go on a “wild goose chase,” we can feel that we’re going in circles, spiraling silly around that which is elusive and mysterious. To follow the Holy Spirit alone we might experience great loneliness. To give chase with another as different from you as you are from me, is the greatest Love that I believe we will ever know on this earth.]

Perhaps we should consider adopting the image of the Wild Goose when we recognize that in the current climate of religious, social and political cynicism, embracing the creative and open nature of the Holy Spirit is perhaps our greatest asset for rebuilding and strengthening our relationships with each other and with our enemies.

Why use the image of the Wild Goose? To begin with, wild geese aren’t controllable. You can’t restrain a wild goose and bend it to your will. They are raucous and loud. Unlike the sweet and calming cooing of a dove, a goose’s honk is strong, challenging, strident and unnerving – and just a bit scary. In much the same way the Spirit of God can be demanding and unsettling. Think about the story of Pentecost and the impression the disciples made on the crowd. People thought they were drunk and disorderly! Its one thing for a gentle dove to descend peacefully on Jesus – it’s something altogether different when the Spirit descends like a wild, noisy goose!

Of course to chase the Wild Goose, our boundaries will be tested, and, of course, we cannot chase the Wild Goose while insisting on staying within what is comfortable.

But think of it this way: If we do not chase the Wild Goose we will never cross paths with other Wild Goose chasers whom we will embrace – people who look, smell, think, and act differently. And think about all the new conversations and the new relationships we will have with people who have yet to be personally introduced to the Wild Goose.

Before being accused as either ‘progressive’ or ‘reformist’ (and whatever is considered the ‘right’ way as a progressive or a reformist), let’s ask this: Is Christ really all about the ‘insiders’ and the ‘outsiders?’ Since Christ transforms himself through us, don’t you think most categories of rightness and wrongness take second place?

Isn’t this what it is all about – this all-surpassing power of God through us – the sometimes willing containers and sometimes in-spite-of-ourselves containers of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 4:7)?  Even though we haven’t had a hand in its creation, we are the containers or connectors of His light. But where does the light shine through – our pores?

The light shines through the holes in our hearts. Holes created by our failures. Holes ripped open after all the times we tripped over our fallen humanity. Holes in our hearts resulting from reprehensible, worthless, and rotten sins. Holes resulting from me trying to be godly without God. Holes rising from the many times I hid out of fear instead of trusting the Lord that He would show up if I did.

The moment we accept that there is nothing from us and everything from God is the moment we will embrace the significance of the cross in our own lives. His glory will be seen to be in contrast to the horribleness of our sin and the intimidation of our greatest weaknesses.

The more aware we are of how fallen we are, the more we will be aware of the number of holes in our heart. The more we are aware of the holes in our heart, the more we will be aware of His light shining through us. The more daring we are about the reckless abandonment of living with “everything from God and nothing from me,” the more you simply must join us in chasing the Wild Goose!

Are you ready to follow the Wild Goose? Are you willing to bring someone as needy as yourself along with you?