Creation Vs. Wild Goose

A few weeks ago I took a week of vacation to go camping in NC for the Wild Goose Festival. Wild Goose, or The Goose, sadly got a lot of poor press before I went down from different people and groups that didn't understand its purpose. The festival started off as a dream that took 25 years to become a reality. It is the US version of Greenbelt, a festival of art, music, and justice, that has been active in the UK for over 40 years.

So where did the controversy come from? Well, a little bit of everywhere. Some of the most dynamic and controversial Christian speakers were brought alongside artists, musicians, spiritual leaders, and justice ministries. Any time you get a group together like that someone is going to talk. But it also had to do with a different type of conversation that was happening - a conversation about reconciliation as we move into the next awakening in Christianity. The next reformation. And that is scary. We are not a people who like change, so we resist those who speak openly about it.

While I was camping, I could not help but compare the event to Creation Fest, which is held in PA each year. Perhaps it was unfair to compare the two events, because they have different purposes. But even in the way that they were run, I was amazed.

Creation: Has a set schedule.

Wild Goose: Was more free flowing.

Creation: Invites people to volunteer to help the festival run, but to the best of my knowledge this is truly volunteer service.

Wild Goose: Took care of its volunteers. For working 12 hours during the festival, I received a free ticket, free camping pass, free showers, and one free meal per day.

Creation: For speaking about "Creation" is very wasteful.

Wild Goose: Had a "Not a trace" philosophy - where campers were to not leave a trace that they were there by recycling and composting as much as possible.

Creation: Has artists performing.

Wild Goose: Has "contributors", but everyone is equal. All camp together. All eat alongside each other.

Creation: As much as I love it, doesn't always have the best atmosphere. I remember one year, a group of us got yelled at because our blanket was encroaching on someone elses.

Wild Goose: It was hard to find someone who did not seek to serve their neighbor. Either through sharing communal meals, which was encouraged, to holding a strangers child while they took a shower, hospitality abounded.

Creation: Seeks to be a place where Christians can gather to experience God.

Wild Goose: Seeks the same thing, it just looks differently.

Creation: Can sometimes be perceived as being about entertaining

Wild Goose: Is about having open spaces for difficult conversations.

In closing, what spoke the most to me about the difference was the port-a-potty. Funny right? But someone once told me that how clean and accessible your bathroom is speaks volumes about your church. At creation, the port-a-pottys were often dirty and at night you could not see. Each port-a-potty at Wild Goose had a light installed so you could see at night. They were clean, never ran out of toilet paper, and had a hand washing station set up outside. Hospitality at its best, my friends.

This post is not to say that Wild Goose is better then Creation - for each has its purpose. Wild Goose is just aimed at a different part of the Christian movement. We really need both, and any other places, where Christians can go and grow their faith. Wild Goose just happens to be the right place for that transformation in me, at this time.