Religious Unity Tour in the Spring!

Presence. 

Participation. 

Sharing the Story. 

Representatives from Glenmary's Commission on Ecumenism will be hitting the road shortly to build bridges with various religious groups in many settings. 

We will be reaching out to religious movements, collaborations between faith groups as well as to individual denominations themselves.  Unity happens in many ways in many contexts.  While our focus is the relationship between Catholics and evangelicals, we will be interacting with folks across the Christian spectrum and even going beyond that into interfaith relationship building.  It promises to be a wild ride!

Without further adieu, here is the spring lineup:

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

As the name suggests, Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Alexandria, VA, is a large assembly of faith groups from many denominations that gather to pray, study and act for social justice.  Advocacy work on behalf of the poor and marginalized is one of the most longstanding ways that Christians have joined together in unity.  This gathering starts with weekend worship services and breakout sessions on topics and ends with a Lobby Day on Capitol Hill meeting with Representatives and Senators.  This year's theme is: Breaking the Chains: Mass Incarceration & Systems of Exploitation.  EAD began in 2003 and has since become the most noteworthy event of its kind.

It is powerful indeed when individuals cross denominational lines to meet with the offices of their elected officials.  I attended in years past, and I enjoyed roaming the halls of Congress with about a dozen other folks from my state.  My group included secular Franciscans, Lutheran and Presbyterian ministers, a Quaker, students, clergy and lay people alike.  We were all speaking with a common voice:  That our diverse religious and cultural traditions have all led us to virtually the same conclusion that our common purpose is to build a more just and peaceful world for all. 

National Workshop on Christian Unity

The National Workshop on Christian Unity is one of the largest ecumenical conferences every year.  It is in many ways part of the "official" dialogue between denominations.  It is already in its 41st year and in 2015 it will be in Charlotte, NC.  The groups have traditionally been Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist and Lutheran, but this year promises to have a large evangelical Christian component, as well.  

North Carolina Glenmary Missions

Glenmary has two mission parishes in Windsor and Plymouth, NC.  They are rural parishes a little over an hour from the Atlantic Coast.  They are having a 3-day multi-parish retreat coming up in partnership with non-Catholic parishes, and our Commission is coming to visit.  While this is not a national gathering like the others, it is worth mentioning because it comes up in the middle of all these other events, and it represents the kind of work Glenmary typically does.

One of the five core categories of mission for Glenmary is ecumenism--the unity of all Christians.  Through our "boots on the ground" approach, based out of our mission parishes, we reach out in dialogue, friendship and mutual service with Christians of other denominations.  This ongoing grassroots work is typically the focus of this blog.  The work is slower than we may want it to be, but the results are often solid and longstanding.  The unity of Christians often happens church to church, pastor to pastor and person to person. 

 

Festival of Faiths

The Festival of Faiths is a major national interfaith event in Louisville, KY, with speakers, meditations, tours and art features all week.  This year is the 20th anniversary of the festival itself, and it also dovetails into the 100th birthday of Thomas Merton, with related events.  It unfolds more like a week-long pilgrimage than a typical festival.  As a true interfaith event, it involves all of the world's religions.  There promises to be strong glimpses into Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Sikh and Native American traditions.

 

While there are differences between ecumenism (the unity of Christians) and interfaith work, I have found that they both require many of the same themes and attitudes for success.  Patience, understanding, true respect and openness to where it may lead are all crucial.  Glenmary has been consistently involved in this festival in years past, and we hope to be in the future, as well!

Southern Baptist Convention

The Southern Baptist Convention is an ideal time to deepen our relationship with the largest denomination in the regions where Glenmary serves.  This is the major national gathering for the SBC, so it is both a privilege and an honor for our group of Catholic missionaries to be invited into the Press box.  Glenmary has generally had someone attend this almost every year since the late 1960s.  We are still the only Catholic group to have this honor.  Our role is to observe and be present.  In the past our members have enjoyed both the warm Southern hospitality and many good conversations throughout the Convention.

Wild Goose Festival

The Wild Goose Festival is our connection to the emerging church movement at a major 4-day outdoor festival in Hot Springs, NC.  They describe themselves this way on their website:

"Wild Goose is a community gathered at the intersection of justice, spirituality, music and art . . . “Wild Goose” is a Celtic spirituality metaphor that evokes unpredictability, beauty, and grace."

While there have been Catholic speakers and many attendees in years past, we were the first Catholic group last year to have an official presence as a table sponsor--a small but visible statement that we want to be there and be in touch with this very dynamic, creative group that is doing much to envision--and actually fashion--the future of Christianity.

 

CADEIO Summer Institute

 

CADEIO stands for "Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers."  It is a professional association within the Catholic Church to support personnel as they help foster the commitment of the Church to reach out across denominational and religious lines.  This Summer Institute near Washington, D.C., is a time to train, network and find support in this important work.  While this is mostly a closed group, it is mentioned here to show the seriousness with which Glenmary, and the Catholic Church in general, consider the work of Christian unity and interreligious dialogue.

In Summation

These events are all strategic because they offer a chance to be in dialogue with some of the major groups and movements in ecumenism:  The social justice movement, the Southern Baptists, the emerging church, denominational relationship-building, interfaith dialogue as well as continued grassroots ecumenism at the Glenmary missions. 

In some cases, just having an "official" presence is a form of outreach in and of itself:  Our presence says that we want to be in relationship and that we matter to each other.  Being present can be both simple and profound. 

 

However, we also hope to go beyond that into making connections and advancing the discussion of Christian and religious unity, always on the lookout for visible signs of the Kingdom.  We plan to be present, participate and then share the story widely.

 

Stay tuned as we share stories and insights from these events in the coming weeks!

Zero-Sum Ecumenism

The success or failure of a relationship often has everything to do with the attitudes and assumptions we bring to the table before we even interact.  Relationships between people of different Christian denominations—or between any diverse people—can be doomed to failure if we approach them from a zero-sum mindset. 

What is a zero-sum mindset?

It is when a person subconsciously thinks: If I affirm you and your tradition, then by consequence I reduce me and my tradition by the same amount. 

 

The cartoon below reflects these same sentiments in a different way:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nakedpastor/2009/12/cartoon-can-you-canoe/

It seems like a frustrating scenario for both parties to be paddling against each other.  The net result is that neither party goes anywhere—it would seem that the takeaway message is that each would be better off working independently.  Perhaps this is simply a choice and not an inevitable outcome of ecumenism.  While supporters of Christian unity may be quick to shake their heads at a cartoon like this, it may be worth recognizing that it has value.  It reflects a potential pitfall that we can all fall into.  If nothing else, it reflects a real concern in the minds of many, concerns that deserve to be voiced.

The problem with this zero-sum mindset is inherently expressed in the term itself:  Everything always adds up to a complete zero.  Your differences and my differences cancel each other out when put together.  The resulting logic is that the only way for any interaction between two people to be fruitful, one person needs to change their beliefs, practices and ultimately change who they are to be more in line with the other.  It leaves few options for contact:  People either clash, neutralize each other, conform or simply avoid each other altogether.  Those become the only possible outcomes when diverse groups come together.  Your unique qualities call into question the validity of my unique qualities and we end up either fighting to establish who is right or living at a polite distance in an awkward tension. 

We may not realize all of this consciously, but if we truly carry a zero-sum mindset then that is ultimately what we are saying.  It could be argued that this is a depiction of where many communities today stand—filled with churches of many denominations keeping a quiet distance from each other.  We have agreed on what we can agree on, and we simply do not know what to do with the differences left that we cannot find a way to converge into some kind of agreement.  Some choose to ignore those differences.  Some choose to downplay them or even assimilate with others.  However, acknowledging true differences and still being in some sense united is something that often eludes us.

This is a challenge for Christians who take seriously the missionary call to go out and spread the Good News.  Can they do it in such a way that does not turn interesting, wonderful people who are already reflecting God's wonder as Creator into some kind of carbon copies of themselves?  Dare I say it—is this ethnic cleansing in a different form?  It is often heavy handed to make that kind of a comparison, but it is hard not to ask that question as yesterday marked the 70th Anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.  The comparison between some traditional forms of missionary conversion and genocide were raised by Katherine Wilson of the Frank Zeidler Center for Public Discussion when I heard her talk at the Wild Goose Festival last summer.  We are at risk of violating one of the deepest revelations of the Christian tradition—the dignity of the human person. 

Relationships, collaborations, joint efforts, and even dialogue can be seen as a complete loss this way.  It is easy to see why people who would avoid ecumenical progress when it seems like the potential for loss is huge and the gains so small.

So is that it—are we just doomed?  Is the quest for Christian unity simply an exercise where the only inevitable outcome is that one side ultimately will assimilate and eradicate the unique aspects of the others?

Are there other options?

In short—yes!

Over and over again, Scripture promises abundance when we cast aside our worries and reach out to God.  Zero-sum ecumenism is fear in disguise.  Remember, it is based on the assumption that nothing good will come out of  ecumenical interactions.  That assumption could be flat out wrong.

It can be valuable to explore the mystical dimensions of the Christian tradition and practice a dose of contemplative non-attachment.  It can be hard to recognize the good in someone else if our identity, self-worth and pride is rooted too heavily on our specific theological conclusions.  We would be better off rooted in the awe and wonder of the Mystery of God.  There is nothing wrong with being a people of conviction as long as those convictions do not turn into false idols keeping us from delving deeper into the Mystery of God and reaching out to others in charity and solidarity. 

The subject of attachment in religious traditions is a tricky thing and deserves at least a post by itself.  It is enough to say here that a tradition by its very nature has a history and a familiarity that goes along with it.  The trick is to honor the tradition without being attached to it and risk missing the God it points to.

For example, I love the old wooden pews in the church where I grew up.  I love the country feel in the yard outside.  I love the way the sun would steam in through the stained glass windows.  All of these can evoke and raise my consciousness to God.  A long tradition has identified these as good qualities for a church to have.  However, it becomes a problem if I were to say that the only legitimate religious experiences are those in old, country churches with wooden pews and stained glass windows.  In that case, I would be making a false idol out of my personal experiences, linking my identity to these fleeting items of this world rather than to what is eternal.  I would be fighting tooth and nail over them as if my life depended on it—and in a sense, it would if I have attached my very identity to these markers—and making it difficult to recognize the Revelation of God elsewhere.  This is the false self that Jesus told us to deny so that we can find the Kingdom within which is eternal.  It is silly actually—an eternal soul not realizing its nature staking its claim on something as fleeting as so much confetti.

Endless liturgical battles play out along these lines, as well.  Some people find a worship service with guitar music difficult to accept compared to other instruments which have been in use for longer periods.  The nastiness of these debates can be astounding.  Are they just attached to something familiar, or are they really cautioning to introduce change slowly so as not to risk losing a tradition that has been refined over a long time?  Some folks are so dug in to their viewpoint that "cautious change" does not seem to be an option for them at all.  If they have attached their false ego self to something like organ music instead of guitar music, then organ-led services will end up affirming them—their group or their viewpoint is being represented so therefore they feel validated.  The problem is that what is being validated is their false self, the very one Jesus told them to deny because it obscures their view of the eternal.

Pope Francis warns against this:

"And when a Christian becomes a disciple of the ideology, he has lost the faith: he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, he is a disciple of this attitude of thought."  He adds:  "Already the Apostle John, in his first Letter, spoke of this. Christians who lose the faith and prefer the ideologies. His attitude is: be rigid, moralistic, ethical, but without kindness."

In Saffron Cross, Baptist minister Rev. J. Dana Trent shows us new calculus—God's math is not our math when our difference enhance rather than diminish us.  Through her interfaith marriage to a Hindu monk, she discovered that her own Baptist faith had been deepened, that is, after a rough period of struggle and discernment. Her marriage forced her to evaluate, dig deeper and see her own tradition from a different perspective.  The view was not always easy but at the end of this turmoil she found herself renewed in her faith on a higher plateau.

Longtime friend of Glenmary, Rev. Carroll Brownlow Hastings was a pioneer in Baptist-Catholic dialogue (pictured at left with Glenmary President Fr. Bob Berson at right).  As an official liaison to Catholics with the Southern Baptist Convention, "he made lasting friendships, from Catholic bishops to the monks at the Conyers, GA, monastery, and helped countless others understand and appreciate the Catholic faith, even as he helped them understand Baptists, who he admitted, "are the confusion and amazement of all the Christian world." Although he garnered a deep affection for what he learned about Catholic faith and practice, he noted that paradoxically the experience profoundly deepened his own commitment to and admiration of Baptist principles. "

In fact, I have heard testimonies like these so many times it is bordering on cliché.  People will say that when they begin dialogue with people from a different faith tradition, at first there may be moments of excitement or skepticism.  Those moments often pass away into an inner roller coaster ride with their own beliefs swinging back and forth like a pendulum.  However, if they hang in there long enough, they often say something uncannily similar to:  I am a better __[my original faith tradition]__ for having gotten to know __[others from a different faith tradition]__ in a meaningful way.

An Exchange of Gifts

An alternative to zero-sum ecumenism begins with a couple of thoughts that seem contradictory at first:  Yes, I am rooted in my own beliefs and tradition.  So are you.  I can assume that both me and my tradition bear some responsibility for the divisions among Christians—divisions which contradict the will of Christ.  This humility may orient me in the right way to begin dialogue.  Perhaps God is sharing gifts with you that I can be better off to learn about.  You may as well benefit from hearing about what God has worked in me and my tradition. 

This "exchange of gifts" that Pope John Paul II referred to is a new standard for ecumenical relationships.  It goes something like this:

I have something to learn from you and you may have something to learn from me.  We both share a full witness of what we believe God has revealed to us and our respective traditions, including all the messiness, confusion and conflicts we may find.  We stand committed to working to fulfill Christ's prayer for Christian unity, even though we do not know where this may lead or what the outcome may be like.  We do not seek to change each other, only to continue to testify until we understand why each of us has arrived at her or his respective beliefs and practices.  We listen in patience and kindness as 1 Corinthians illustrates.  We rely on the Holy Spirit to work in us as we seek that Scriptural ideal of unity in diversity.

Perhaps that is all that can be said right now.

All kidding in the above meme aside, we actually do know that is going to happen.  In his famous address to Copeland Ministries, Pope Francis said it best with the following:

"A famous Italian author named Manzoni, once wrote in his novel, of a simple man amongst the people, who once said this, "I've never seen God begin a miracle without Him finishing it well." He will complete this miracle of unity."

Interfaith Marriage: 'Saffron Cross' (2013) by J Dana Trent, a Book Review

“Being married to a Hindu priest has made me a better Baptist.”

The above statement flies in the face of conventional wisdom.  Are not interfaith marriages supposed to water down the faith and cause people to lose focus? 

Yet that statement was spoken in full confidence by Rev. J. Dana Trent, an ordained Baptist minister and author of Saffron Cross:  The Unlikely Story of How a Christian Minister Married a Hindu Monk.  She gave an engaging talk at the 2014 Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, NC.

I recommend Saffron Cross for anyone struggling with the promise and peril of relationships between people of different faith traditions—whether it is between Christian denominations or even different religions altogether.

Rev. Trent suggests that interfaith relationships do not just present obstacles to endure, but they actually provide opportunities to grow in sensitivity, faith and understanding.



"Fred and Dana at Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, NC."
Photo by Franklin Golden http://jdanatrent.com/photos/

She begins her journey with a profile on eHarmony.  She was very surefooted and took for granted that her ideal partner would have similar spiritual views.  She concluded her book a very transformed person.  In her words:  “I checked eHarmony boxes in my pajamas, bossing God around about what I would and would not accept in a partner.  Now I’m married to a former Hindu monk, so the joke’s on me” (page 143). 

Her path was not an easy one, however.  There were many ups and downs along the way.  It is never easy when “our core beliefs are threatened,” as she pointed out in the talk—or at least, when they seem threatened.

In the beginning, she tried to change her husband-to-be.  Despite years of seminary education and a mature spirituality that would have respected differences, fears and old prejudices from somewhere inside of her initially took over.  She tried to “save” him, scheming ways to get him baptized—even though that coercive approach was contrary to her own theological views.  Some impulse from deep down showed its face.

There were other times when she leaned in the opposite direction and wanted to throw out Scripture—a difficult place to be for a Baptist minister, no doubt.  She teetered on the brink of abandoning her faith tradition.

The pendulum swung back and forth until she hit a breakthrough.  She referenced in her talk a “Holy Spirit moment” in her life.  She reached a point when she realized it was “not my God or his God . . . it was just God.  God with a capital “G” . . . God is not containable.”  She had come full circle but at a higher plateau and rediscovered the 'Awesome God' she had come to know in her Baptist upbringing—a God that was even more awesome than she had previously imagined but which was still consistent with what her Baptist faith announced.

“I was forcing God (and Fred) into my cozy little Baptist box.” (p. 48).  It was through getting to know her eventual husband that she came to discover and appreciate that Hinduism is a “legitimate way to God . . . steeped in sacred scripture, ritual and authenticity.” (48). 

Based on her journey, she offers the following three places where interfaith relationships of all kinds—marriages or friendships—can foster growth.  In her words, Interfaith relationships . . .

1.       help us face our own fears and prejudices

2.       help us face our own spiritual doubts

3.       are a lens to understand how others view God

She suggests that these are crucial skills not just for interpersonal relationships but for anyone living in the 21st century, as our world is growing closer through the rise of technology.

“Our biggest fear is that when we open ourselves to others’ understanding of God, we will jeopardize our own path.  And yet, the opposite is true.  The Holy Spirit breaks free from our human-made constraints and moves fluidly among us, crossing our unnecessary lines drawn in the sand” (142).

Other couples in interfaith relationships in the audience at the Wild Goose Festival shared their experiences.  One couple pointed out that it is good to be realistic about possibilities—there are some blessings as well as difficulties that come.  In their experience, a mixed marriage is not all good or all bad.  An interfaith marriage can be a tremendous place to nurture broad perspectives about the world while at the same time sacrificing intensity for a particular mode or tradition.  This can be especially true in raising children.

While interfaith marriages may not be in the future for everyone, the living experience of Rev. Trent and her husband Fred—both ordained in their respective traditions and very serious about their faith lives—offers a road map for others who may follow.  She paints a portrait of tremendous growth that can come whenever any two people of different faith traditions marry, grow in friendship or even have a single conversation. 

In light of Rev. Trent’s account, it is worth pondering whether interactions and relationships between different traditions are not just a curious option for some of us but whether they are absolutely necessary for all of us to grow—to truly live out the Gospel mandate to be not afraid, seek out those who are left out while inherently respecting the innate dignity of every human person in their uniqueness along the way.  These relationships may be a natural extension of the need to practice faith in community rather than in isolation.  Building a world for ourselves surrounded only by like-minded folks may rob us of the tension needed to wrestle with our doubts and emotional unfinished business.

“I dove, baptism-by-fire style, into an integrated Christian-Hindu life.  I visited physical and metaphorical spaces of pain and change… Fred gave me the greatest gift this side of heaven:  a Hinduism that brought me back to Jesus” (p. 143).   Being married to a “devout Hindu has helped me to be a better Christian," she said.  “It has deepened my Christian walk.”

It is clear that Rev. Trent and her husband take their religious life seriously and are very intentional about working out potential issues head on.  The next challenge for the young couple may be raising children in an interfaith household. 

A closing image is something Rev. Trent offered during her talk at the Wild Goose Festival:  When it comes to interfaith relationships, “you have to hold them delicately.” 

A Catholic Perspective: The Wild Goose and the Emerging Church

The Wild Goose is a 4-day outdoor festival in Hot Springs, NC.  This is an annual event that began in 2011. It represents a huge movement that so far has managed to slip under the radar of mainstream attention.

Many of the attendees camped directly on the grounds and stayed on site the entire time.  There were mainline Protestants, Evangelicals, Catholics and followers of other traditions. The movement that originated this event includes what is called the emerging church.  They are working to envision—and live into—a post-denominational world.  Many are folks who find themselves on the margins of traditional church structures for one reason or another.  This includes interfaith households, artists, activists, LGBT, intellectuals, searchers or just anyone who does not fit into a denominational box for all sorts of reasons. 
 

At the same time, the large portion of clergy present tells another story—these folks are not just marginalized but directly at the core of their faith traditions.  Folks are exploring new monasticism; they are prophetic and inclusive.  It is rooted in Evangelical Christianity, but many other religious traditions are represented, such as Eastern and indigenous.  There is an amazing grace-filled aura of acceptance and warmth that permeates the whole festival.  It is the kind of environment where you could leave your wallet on a picnic table and come back several hours later and it would still be there, untouched.  Kids played in the muddy streets, and I did not notice a single behavior problem. 

There were dozens and dozens of speakers, bands, art exhibits and other events.  It was very hard to attend even a fraction of what was going on.  I tried to focus on events that had an ecumenical component.  I was just 3 weeks into my new role fostering understanding between Catholics, Evangelicals and other faith groups.  The Wild Goose Festival was for me a time of both professional and personal enrichment. It was a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself in interfaith dialogue, make contacts and quickly get up to speed in my role in a tangible way.  It was a baptism by fire—or rather, by rain!

A number of people visited the table and remarked that they were glad to see a Catholic presence at the festival.  While there are many Catholics there as individuals or as part of interfaith groups, I am proud to say the Glenmary table this year has been the only purely Catholic organization so far in the festival’s history.  [In previous years, Frs. Richard Rohr and John Dear have been popular speakers there.]

“Tom”:  Evangelicals, the Church Fathers and the British Invasion

I had a great talk with “Tom.”  He is an evangelical leader.  I am keeping his name anonymous because I am not entirely sure if what he told me was said in confidence.  He took me aside and whispered something that I have heard from many others:  “I am Evangelical but almost everyone I read is Catholic… mostly the ascetic tradition, Thomas Merton and the Church Fathers.”  He also said that does not translate for him into formally being part of the Catholic Church. 
 

I share this because his story is common.  It is represented very well by Duke Divinity School and other institutions, but mostly it is truly a grassroots movement not tied to any single place.  I am reminded about how the Beatles re-interpreted American rock and roll and gave the music world a shot in the arm—the British invasion began.  Right now, Protestants and Evangelicals are immersing themselves in Catholic thought and reminding all of us—Catholics included—about some of the best parts of the tradition that are often overlooked. 

A generation ago, Catholics were leaving the Church in droves and many were attracted to the freedom of the Spirit they found in Evangelical traditions.  Now, many Evangelicals are attracted to the traditions in the Catholic world—monastic practices, the liturgical calendar, social teaching and the religious orders.  If we step back and look at these cultural shifts, perhaps the Holy Spirit is more active than we generally care to admit.  When society becomes too one-sided, there is a shift in the other direction—later, there is a shift back.

Catholic prayer can become stale and robotic with rote recitation, so people are attracted to the freedom in the Spirit in the Pentecostal world.  Catholic blogger Billy Kangas was at the festival and mentioned to me that after a while this can turn stale for altogether different reasons.  He said folks can become attracted to structured prayer to help them dig deeper in their relationship with God in a disciplined way.  He says that Evangelicals often come to him asking for prayer ideas from the Catholic tradition.  This is fascinating to me because 20 years ago I remember Evangelicals teaching Catholics how to put down their prayer books and instead pray out of a living, personal relationship with Christ.  The pendulum swings back and forth.

“Full and Active Participation”

A phrase from Vatican II kept going through my mind during the festival:  “Full and active participation.”  This is the hope—and expectation—for the level of involvement of the people of God in the life of the Church.  Yet, we all know how difficult it is to find and nurture that.  At this festival, there was no question that there was very full and active participation from just about everybody—from festival organizers to casual attendees.  As an organizer who has worked hard to build interest in both faith and justice efforts, I watched this closely.  What is their secret? 

So often, I have felt like a monk in the Dark Ages, just trying to keep some semblance of a movement alive for the next generation—passing on the faith, passing on the social teaching, keeping the conversation about peace just barely alive, just a flicker of a flame.  Most of the time folks are creating events hoping to stir some kind of a movement or beg and borrow to solicit participation. 

The most amazing thing about this festival is that the work to put it together is largely invisible.  There was no one hurrying around trying to keep the whole thing on track.  It just seems to unfold so naturally.  Having planned events in the past on a much smaller scale, I can appreciate the amazing skills of the people who put this together.

My opinion is this:  There is a wide acceptance of the full inherent dignity of each person in their uniqueness at the Wild Goose.  There was no pressure to force oneself into a denominational or cultural box.  Interfaith expression happens seamlessly.  Since the full person was respected and accepted, people returned the favor by being fully present.  The massive organizational achievement of this festival is a testament to that.  This does not mean that there are no standards or morals—the festival was a celebration of life, goodness and right behavior.  People like Rev. Barber (and Pope Francis, for that matter) are great examples of how you can fully respect and accept people while still having a firm moral compass of your own.

Meeting People Where They Are

Many Catholics go to this festival searching for spiritual nourishment, and there is usually no one there from the Catholic Church to greet them.

Most people under age 40 do not regularly go to weekly Mass or other church services.  Their spiritual life is more centered around events like the Wild Goose.  They volunteer at places like Glenmary Farm, go on retreats, read, talk to their friends and listen to inspiring speakers.  I think a lot about what it means to be a missionary—partly because I work with a Catholic missionary organization and partly because of the call by Pope Francis for all Christians to cultivate a missionary spirituality.  If we are going to meet people where they are at, they are at the Wild Goose. 

Missionaries traditionally have had the role of meeting people where they are at in a geographical sense.  We think of priests and ministers trudging through the Outback, setting up new churches with all the trappings of parish life.  Perhaps being a missionary today is less about the pioneering work to make the Church present in a new geographical location but rather making the Church present in a new cultural context.  Lack of access to a church building is not the reason why many are staying home from Mass.  As a Glenmary priest pointed out, they may have a church next door.  Too often the institutional Church assumes it is the duty of each Catholic to conform their life to the rhythms of parish life rather than finding ways to bring the Church to life wherever they may be.

We Reap What We Sow

One blogger suggested that the flowering of the emerging church movement today—which would include, in part, the Wild Goose—is directly a result of the culture wars of the last 30 years.  The seismic shift to the right that happened in the Evangelical world in the 1980s created a movement that has been politically powerful for a generation, but it marginalized so many people in the process.  The children of that generation are largely unimpressed by the inconsistencies of that movement and have become the leaders against it. 

It is worth wondering what might have happened.  What if Evangelical and mainline churches had taken a more inclusive stance three decades ago?  What if mercy and compassion were the main identifiers of the faith rather than hardline stances?

It is fascinating to wonder where this movement is going to lead.  When it comes to dialogue between Evangelicals and Catholics, the Wild Goose and the emerging church movement is an important piece of the puzzle.  I am so glad to have been a part of it and look forward to participating in the future!