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 of 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?
John Fischer The Catch 
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh Marti I for one am sooooooooo willing to “follow the Wild Goose” and luv the enjoyment & sometimes fun, sometimes a bit scary ride it take me on… 🙂
I don’t know, John. Wild goose? I come from Celtic stock, and I’m having a hard time connecting with this one. It reminds me of the argument between Franklin and Jefferson over whether our national bird should be a turkey or an eagle. 🙂
I was thinking this morning, you know what the real problem in the Christian church today is? No leadership. We men, who are supposed to be leading, have taken a powder. We’ve sold our souls for money, career, sports, entertainment, toys, vacations and what I consider to be the biggest “whitewash” of all – “family.” It looks good to say we’re spending time with the family, but when each member is off doing their own thing, and you’re stuck in front of the TV, that’s not family time.
All God has ever asked for is men that are available. Not smart, not funny, not clever, not talented, not rich, not well-born, not well-placed – available. But we have filled our lives with so many things that there is no time left to be available. When God says He needs someone, we say we’re busy. That is the crime of the modern era, and that is what’s wrong with the church today. We don’t need another bird to represent the Holy Spirit, we need men that are available, saying, “Here am I, send me.”
All a leader is, is a shepherd. That’s what the Bible equates leadership with. Yet, if we were leading sheep instead of people, they’d all be dead by now. People can fend for themselves, or so we suppose; but sheep can’t. They need to be lead. I think every church should send their leadership to a sheep farm somewhere to learn to tend sheep, so that they can realize how dependent those critters are on them. Then maybe they will realize how dependent their followers are on them.
We need leaders, John. We need men that are available. Goose-honk if you’re available. 🙂
Is Waitsel saying, “here am I Lord?
Hurrrrray! Our newest Shepherd!
Rev Waitsel. It has a good ring to it.
Yes, and for our altar call, I’d like all you goose followers to clean your feet before coming down front. 🙂
Yes, as wonderful as Geese are they are a wee bit messy. I went through 5 pair of Wellies in three years!
Sorry, Marti, I thought this was John’s musings. Well, YOU goose-honk if you’re available. 🙂
Well heck, now I understand where the Wild Goose Festival came from! I am so clueless. As far as following, it is so hard to let go. But yes, I’m wanting to badly. Whether I will or not…
Thank you for today’s Catch
I was part of a government survey to observe and record patterns of the Canada Geese through a few of their life cycles in my area and it was a life changing experience. It was a job. I needed the work. It turned out to be so much more as are so many of God’s gifts. It took patience going out in all weather waiting and just being there for the Geese to see me everyday. Long story short, they took me in as one of their own and loved me trusted me and showed me all manner of things. They brought me their goslings. I watched them grow into their adult feathers. I saw them have mates of their own the next seasons. I have had the unique experience of being an honourary Canada Goose so when someone refers to “silly” geese, I take exception. Geese are noble and beautiful and strong and loud and can break a mans shoulder and collar bone if necessary. The Wild Goose is a Celtic symbol of the Holy Spirit, indeed. Well done Marti Thank you Jesus for using her to express Yourself to us.
Guess I don’t quite get the discomfort around the terms “insider” and “outsider.” To the extent they’ve been used as weapons to hurt people, okay, I get the objection. But the fact remains, some are inside the Lord’s fold, and some aren’t. Of course, we don’t (always) know who is who. But I’m unclear on how attempting to ignore the difference leads to the Lord’s desired result. Peter didn’t tell the people on Pentecost, “It’s all good, don’t worry about a thing now that you’ve understood my point.” Surely “walking in newness of life” can be described as being “inside” something that one was previously “outside.” So, not to put too fine a point on it, I think you’re going too far in efforts to remove the very concept. If the saved aren’t different in some important ways, the Biblical conclusion is, they aren’t the saved.
I agree with Andrew
I don’t want to follow any man, but the spirit of God? That’s interesting to me.
I like the illustration.
We hold up men as if they have some secret to God’s greatness and we just want to follow. This explains why someone can a mega church and have people mindlessly following them. I guess it’s fun to feel like an insider, like we joined club Jesus and we are different than others.
Following the goose is a great representation of breaking down the walls the church has established and following the Spirit into the marketplace.
I don’t know who is saved and lost, nor is it my problem to figure out. If I follow the goose,however, I might be fortunate enough to be there when someone else comes to a new understanding and acceptance of God’s love.
~ Saw the title of this Catch and immediately thought of the old Johnny Horton song,
“Call of the Wild Goose”:
“My heart goes where the wild goose goes…”
C’mon, John and everybody, sing along!!! 🙂
YEAAAAAAAAAAAA! A sing-a-long! I love to sing and it helps shake out all the convoluted ideas that can some times interfere with the Message.
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