Wild Goose Chase

I just started reading a book by Mark Batterson called Wild Goose Chase.  Mark opens his book by saying that the Celtic Christians used to have a name for the Holy Spirit called An Geadh-Glas or “the Wild Goose.”  The name hints at the mystery of the Holy Spirit who cannot be tracked or tamed.  

In my church work over the past twenty years I encounter seasons where I have the “mechanics” down–the procedures, processes, methods and applications.  In the process, however, I have clipped the wings of the Wild Goose and settled for something much less than what God originally intended.

Jesus said in John 3:8, “The wind blows wherever it pleases.  You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”  There is a certain element of mystery and surprise as we chase after this Wild Goose.  To us there may be a sense of randomness where things don’t make sense, similar to our questioning the direction of the wind.  But we can rest assured that God is working His plan.  As Batterson says, “If you chase the Wild Goose, He will take you places you never could have imagined going by paths you never new existed.”

This is not about miraculous gifts or theological distinctives of Pentecostals.  This is about adventure.  This is about our passionate pursuit of God.  The Spanish have a saying, “Otro dia, otra aventura” that’s translated, “Another day, another adventure.”  That should become our mantra in following Jesus of Nazareth as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.  

Another day, another adventure in our Wild Goose chase, or as the Apostle Paul encourages us, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).