What's good for the goose...

Those who know me know that I am not one to readily put myself in a camping situation, neither am I likely to make any kind of effort to listen to live music, and yet, last week both of these things happened. Why? Because I attended the Wild Goose festival in Shakori Hills NC. I have recently started a new chapter in my life and felt that this festival would be a good place for me to explore my expanding horizons.

Here is the explanation of Wild Goose from their website:
The Wild Goose is a Celtic spirituality metaphor that evokes unpredictability, beauty, and grace. The festival resonates with this image because we recognize that in the current climate of religious and political division and lack of civility, embracing the creative and open nature of our faith is perhaps our greatest asset for re-building and strengthening our relationships with each other, with our enemies, with our stories, our questions, and the other. In that spirit, in an informal setting, and in the context of creative and respectful relationships, we invite you to imagine a new world with us.

It is no surprise that the festival attracts those who are from the progressive and emergent parts of the faith. This is not  a place where you will hear a lot of conservative voices, and my God was it refreshing. I have never felt so welcomed and accepted by strangers as I did at this festival. I have never felt so at liberty to be myself. I listened to those I agreed with and those I disagreed with. I attended a Quaker meeting, ate Indian food, fellow-shipped with a mason, sang hymns in a beer tent, and met people whose faith in Christ has forever informed mine.

Coming from a more conservative background I became acutely aware how little conversation exists in conservative circles. There is a lot of affirmation and agreement but not so much room for discussion and disagreement, at least not in the same friendly way that I experienced last week. It is amazingly freeing to  be able to accept that someone else has a different viewpoint and it's okay.

I would not consider myself a conservative but I do hold some conservative views, however, I think I am starting to see them as less crucial to my acceptance of others faith journeys than I did before. Perhaps I am coming to this a little late in my faith, but it feels so good to finally arrive.

The festival is a conversation, and we were reminded that an important component of any conversation is listening. It seems to me that the progressive side of our faith is doing well with listening and through this is representing the Christ I want to follow. If it is good for the progressives then I am sure that listening would also be good for the conservatives.

Perhaps you will read this post and disagree. That's okay, as long as you have listened to what I have to say.