Carnival as Revolution

The Italian "carne levare", or perhaps the late Latin "carne vale" are both potential origins for our word "carnival." Meaning to "remove meat" or "farewell to meat" respectively they point to the prohibition against meat at Lent. The Latin "carne vale" would later be thought of as "farewell to the flesh" since it translates the same as "meat" or "flesh."

Carnivale was presented as a means of revolution by Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin. In our wild world driven by growing freedom in hedonistic pleasures and capitalistic designs taking advantage of the same pleasures for the purpose of greedy gain, carnivale has become a revolution of pleasure. It has also become a trap for those who would enslave us for greed's sake. Every generation has the struggle for freedom, and in our generation this struggle it has been empowered by the commercialization of our passions. So, we must ask ourselves: are we really free? or is our so-called freedom the gateway for someone else to enslave us?

Our momentary pleasures and our sexual passions may not be our own. Could it be that they are being driven by others who are selling us things to make us feel fulfilled.

Enter stage right: The Holy Fool.

The 6th Century Saint Simeon is called the Holy Fool, and became the patron saint of fools and puppeteers in Catholic tradition. Through his tomfoolery and wild behavior he transformed the city of Emesa, Syria in his lifetime. He used wild clownish theater to share the Gospel.

Like fighting fire with fire, it may be time for the rising of the Holy Fool once again. We live in a season of carnivale as revolution. Our society is being transformed, and in some ways enslaved in a Roman "Bread and Circuses" style through the absurd theater of the entertainment that captivates us. Perhaps a Pauline "foolishness" is in order to counteract this wisdom of our age.

"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty..." (1 Corinthians 1:27)

I am hoping for a revolution within this world's passion driven revolution. I am praying for Holy Fools to rise up even now, and call our culture to something outside these traps of "the flesh" being set for us by our television sets, and rich men making money from our addictions.

If you identify with this - please, join me in the gentle and creative revolution. We are already practicing the revolution in Salem, MA, and the Burning Man Festival. Perhaps you would like to join us, pray for us, or support this work through giving.

Our current Burning Man project: Theophony, is part of this carnivale revolution. We are raising money to complete the project and get it to Burning Man this August/September. Consider helping us as our team seeks to raise $8,000 by July 21st. Follow the link above, or click on the block below, and please let us know what you think.



Visit The Gathering at Salem online

The Holy Fool - January 2008 SynchroBlog

Father Michael joined us for a few weeks. He stayed on our couch most evenings, and some nights stayed with another couple in the church. He still wore his black Orthodox robes, and carried a backpack filled with a few things he owned, which included some relics, and a thurible.
I jokingly referred to him as our episcopi vagantes, and I suppose the reference wasn't too far off. He had been an Orthodox monk for 14 years, and was recently asked to leave the monastery, because he had a strong fundamentalist pentecostal streak which wanted to get out on the streets preaching. He felt that not doing so was somehow missing the Gospel purpose.
Father Michael had devoted everything to the service to God. All his possessions were given to the Order when he entered in his early twenties. He helped make wine in one monastery, and did carpenter work in another. He rose early to pray. He kept the strict schedule of the monastic life with long work days, regular prayer and meditation hours throughout the day - even waking at midnight each day to keep the prayer hours of his Orthodox order.

When he was asked to leave the order he owned nothing but his backpack of belongings. He had no money. He had only one change of clothes apart from his robes, and he decided to travel over 500 miles to Salem, because he thought he might be of service to the Pagan community by meeting the people, and preaching the Gospel there.

Father Michael came to Salem and found us. For almost a month he fellowshiped and lived with The Gathering. He kept the hours of prayer, and shared his beliefs and experiences with us.

Father Michael had been stabbed multiple times while preaching on the street during his younger years before entering the monastic life. He had been kicked out of cities, and asked not to return. Eventually he found a place to rest his head, and express his passion for God in Orthodox Monasticism.

Michael and I discussed St. Basil of Moscow who was known as one of God's Holy Fools. St. Basil of Moscow is one of Russian Orthodoxy's most revered saints. He not only gave up his possessions, but also his reputation to behave in peculiar ways which appeared foolish, but revealed the gracious goodness of God.

Is there a place in our society for the Holy Fool? Or was there ever a place for Holy Fools in our world? Are they the so other-worldly saints who are willing to sacrifice reputation for the sake of the Gospel, and in doing so model living the Kingdom life for us all? Could it be that we should all take on some of the characteristics of the Holy Fool? Could it be that in doing so we fulfill walking in the power of God?


For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.


The Holy Fool by Phil Wyman
The Power of Paradox by Julie Clawson
That Darn Ego by Jonathan Brink
Won't Get Fooled Again by Alan Knox
Strength on the Margins by Igneous Quill
Foolish Heart by Erin Word
A Fool's Choice by Cindy Harvey
Quiet Now, God's Calling by Jennelle D'Alessandro
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right... By Mike Bursell
Ship of Fools by David Fisher
Hut Burning for God by Father Gregory
God Used This Fool by Cobus van Wyngaard
Fool if you think its over by Paul Walker
Blessed are the foolish -- foolish are the blessed by Steve Hayes
The Foolishness of God and the Foolishness of Christians by KW Leslie
What a Fool Believes by Sue at Discombobula
Fools Rush In by Sonja Andrews
What A Fool I've Beena> by Reba Baskett
God Uses Foolish Things by Sally Coleman