Finding Jesus at Burning Man

Burning Man is a late-summer festival held annually in the bleak Nevada desert north of Reno. Fifty thousand people gather on the barren alkali lakebed called Black Rock Playa to camp, party, create art, and burn things—big things—culminating in the immolation of a large effigy, the source of the festival's title. During the week it exists, it is Nevada's fourth largest city.

Touting the dual values of radical self-reliance and radical self-expression, Burning Man is a notoriously hedonistic event. There are some naked people, but not as many as the urban myths suggest. There are campsites that are adult playgrounds for a variety of sexual activities. Burning Man has drugs and an excess of free alcohol. By night the event becomes a series of large raves and dance parties, with walls of woofers and tweeters thumping and squealing until dawn. It might be expected that even angels would fear to tread the dust of this nomadic adult party. But art and hedonism are not the only things one finds at Burning Man.

For many, Burning Man is a spiritual pursuit, about finding a countercultural, nonmonetary way to live. You cannot buy or sell things at Burning Man. "Gifting" is the prime value, and most Burners bring enough supplies and gifts to give a great deal away to others—art, food, skills, and crafts. At our camp, espresso was being gifted, and when the espresso machine broke down, a 70-ish "Mr. Fix-It" gave us the gift of repairing it.

That wild combination of hedonism, art, and spiritual pursuit is what dragged me and four adventurous friends to Burning Man late in the summer of 2011. We wanted to see if Jesus was there. Like missionaries to an aboriginal culture, we were hunting for hints of the witness of God's Spirit in the midst of it all. If it is true that "where sin abounds, grace does much more abound," it seemed that Burning Man would be on fire with great grace. Opportunities for sharing the gospel could be limitless.

Continue reading at www.christianitytoday.com

Evermyrtle

Satan must be mighty proud of these people and very pleased of himself. He, like the rest of us will face JESUS CHRIST and the word says he will burn.
- Vladimir
  
  It is my understanding that Satan has already damned himself and there is no reason for him to face Jesus. He cannot be judged in the flesh because he will never have a resurrected body of flesh in which to be judged. Job demonstrated that we are to be in the flesh to see Jesus at the judgement. "… though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." Satan has already been cast out and will eventually inherit outer darkness. Again, that is my understanding.
  - Evermyrtle
    
    I guess, that I am not sure if Satan will come face to face with JESUS. He was in heaven with JESUS, before he was cast our to 'roam the earth seeking whom he may destroy" which he has been doing for about 5,000 years, or if he will be cast straight into hell without being face to face with HIM. I believe that is a moot point, not worthy of discussion. Again I may be wrong!!
    
    Of all things, I do not want give out misinformation and cause anyone to believe the wrongly. I pray about this possibility, most days.
smogdew

Gee, Paganism – wonder if the ACLU will do anything about it? Or is it just Christianity that bugs them?
http://www.answersingenesis.org/ keyboardshark

Kind of like a modern-day Woodstock. I don't know whether there was any Gospel outreach at the original Woodstock in 1969, but it's heartening to see that there are intrepid warriors for Christ today who are looking for outreach opportunities at these kind of gatherings.