“Burning Man is an event that happens in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada. Once a year, tens of thousands of people gather, build a temporary city with a human effigy in the middle of it - along with a main temple - and then celebrate/party for a week (clothing optional), host workshops and discussions, install massive art pieces, and then at the end they torch the effigy, the temple, and much of the art work. Then the city is disassembled for another year. Overall it is considered to be a transformational event; a place that is highly creative, psychologically disruptive, a place to explore spirituality (not Christian, but about finding the Higher Self, or the "divine within" - it is pagan in that the creation is placed above the Creator: see Romans 1)), and a place to push past your normal boundaries.
As such, it is a global movement - shaping contemporary culture, spirituality, and even technology (for example, Google is a Burn-infused company) - and with regional Burn events happening around the world. And that is what we just attended; a regional Burn in Alberta, Canada.
My purpose in attending: monitor and study the movement, glean insights into its trajectory and influence, and when possible, share my Christian faith as I interact with the people attending” — Carl Teichrib
by Jenise Cook
Are You Surprised They Attended?
When I found out Jesus was at this year’s Burning Man, I eagerly added the Facebook account to my threads and dove headfirst into the posts. Apparently, the Lord has attended Burning Man for several years.
How?
He has attended through His people. Some years ago, a small group of devoted followers of Christ set up a camp on the playa inside Burning Man. Their purpose? To love the lost. This year, they went again.
While on the playa, they simply make themselves available for conversations with people about the Son of God who loves them and desires to rescue them from their sins and pagan practices. They also help with real-world needs by providing ice-cold water, and helping in other practical ways. The camp’s numbers now include fellow Christ followers from other regions of the U.S. and Canada.
Their camp on the playa’s name, Camp of the Unknown God (see featured image above), is based on…..
Acts 17:22-23 (ESV)
22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
The apostle Paul’s missionary journeys were to pagans as well as to Jews in the many areas of the Roman Empire that he visited. If this scenario above from Acts 17 is new to you, select this link and read about Paul’s speech at the Areopagus in Athens:
[ Read the entire chapter: Acts 17. ]
Pagans and their beliefs are nothing new to Christianity throughout history. The early church was filled with redeemed pagans and Jews. And the continuing history of our faith needs to include conversations with pagans who attend events similar to Burning Man.
What Have Other Believers Said about Believers at Burning Man?
The brothers and sisters who spent 10 days in ugly conditions at Burning Man this year, to be available to the lost, received some unkind comments from fellow believers. The negative consensus is along the lines of:
“You shouldn’t be at Burning Man. It’s a pit of open and wide-spread sin and awful heathen practices.”
Our sisters and brothers on the playa feel differently. God called them to this unique ministry. They remained determined through dust storms and torrential rain storms to share the Lord’s love with neo pagan Burners.
What Does Jesus Say?
I love these verses from the gospels about Jesus and His ministry. There are many other verses, and you may have your favorites. But, I’ll share just a few as this post is already on the long side.
Jesus saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at his tax collection booth, and told Levi to follow Him. Levi got up and Jesus went with Levi to his home. (Levi is the apostle Matthew, one of the twelve. See Matthew chapter 9.)
Mark 2:15-17 (ESV)
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Jesus went with a “disgusting” tax collector to share a meal in his home, a venue filled with fellow “disgusting” sinners.
But Jesus knew the hearts of men and women. He made Himself available to whoever wanted to listen to Him, including one from the group that criticized Him for socializing with tax collectors and sinners. A Pharisee.
Luke 7:36-50 (ESV)
36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
What do I find amazing about the above passage? Two people showed great courage to be with Jesus to hear His teaching, by being seen together in the same location. Two people who would have done anything to avoid being in each other’s presence, for one was a devout religious person and the other was a vile sinner.
The Pharisee. He invited into his home the “drunkard and a glutton” who ate with tax collectors and sinners. Did he later face harsh criticism, and maybe punishment by his religious peers? Imagine his courage.
The woman of the city who was a sinner. Let’s face it, dear readers, she was a harlot. A prostitute came into the home of a religious Pharisee to worship Jesus. Imagine her courage.
What did Jesus say? He told Simon (the Pharisee) a story to illustrate His point about love and acceptance, and where Simon fell short. He told the woman of the city that He received her repentance and He forgave her of all her many sins. “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
And, finally, there’s His Great Commission.
Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)
16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Even though some disciples had doubts when they saw Jesus, He didn’t focus on that and rebuke them. Instead, He declared the absolute authority that God had given to His Son because of His victorious death on the cross and the now-empty tomb.
Where Am I Going with All of This?
The past several days, as I watched online as my brothers and sisters demonstrated Jesus’ love to the Burners on the playa, I wondered “what is my “playa”? Where does He want me to go to share His love and truth with the desperately lost? I don’t yet have an answer, but I’m feeling kind of excited to see what the Lord is going to do.
I appreciate what Jesus did during His earthly ministry. He met people right where they were. He addressed their most important concerns, loving them and forgiving them any time their hearts were ready and open to Him. He continues to do this today, through us, His beloved followers.
He also declared His awesome and ultimate authority over all the realms, including where paganism seems to reign in power. Jesus let us know He is King of kings, and we can help Him fulfill the Great Commission with confidence.
In the meantime, while I wait to see if He has a “playa” for me, I go where He leads me, seeking to be His ambassador in ordinary places, like the local grocery store and my neighborhood.
Your Take Away
Dear reader, where is your “playa”, if you know? Where would the Lord guide you to go to share His good news with people who are very far from God?
If you’re not sure, if you don’t yet know, join me in prayer until He lets us know.
Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Soli Deo Gloria!
Jenise Cook
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Camp of the Unknown God has a public page on Facebook, which means you don’t need a FB account to read their posts. The posts regarding Burning Man 2023 are from August 30 to September 7, 2023. [ Select to go there. ] You’ll need to scroll down to see the first posts from August 30th.
The page’s author is Robert (Bob) Worley, the local resident who started it all, in obedience to God’s call on him and his wife.
Another person to follow is Canadian Carl Teichrib. Carl is the author of the book: Game of Gods: The Temple of Man in the Age of Re-Enchantment”.
Visit his websites: Game of Gods || About Carl || and Forcing Change
View the book on Amazon
Transformational Festivals article
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