From time to time I receive comments on the word “wildman.” Some of the responses are very interesting. The wives of men who come to “wildman” Saturdays wonder just what goes on in our time together. My response is, “If they are better husbands at meeting your emotions needs, then it must be good.” Others are little more apprehensive. There are women who find the word “wild” almost abusive. I can understand that kind of sentiment, since women have been victims of much abuse from males. The one that bothers me the most, comes from men who I sense are defensive about the word “wild.” I sense in many of these men a defensive posture that has a difficult time in letting go of emotional control, fearful of what they might find if they sink into their hearts.
Paul tells us in II Cor 4:7-8, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” Later Paul’s says, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day” (v 16). We men are fragile clay jars. A wild man is one who comes to this realization. He is able to say with any good AA person, “I admit that I am powerless to fix the brokenness of my life on my own. My life has become unmanageable.” Gary Moon in his “twelve confessions” rephrases the third step by saying, “I will turn my will and my entire life over to the care of God. Father, I’m asking for a total transfusion of your will, power, presence and love.”
A wildman is wild because he can let go, getting in touch with much of his buried emotions, that form a “well of sorrow and grief.” He can be honest about being powerless to fix his brokenness caused by his conflicting and distorted emotions. When a man begins to access these deeper emotions, he find his true desire and energy in God. This become his wildness, because it is beyond his control. He is now getting in touch with the life of the Spirit. This is part of the great treasure that Paul talks about. Strength of character, depth of emotions and consistency in virtue flow from this inner life of the Spirit. Paul tells that outwardly we might be dying, but the life within is being continually renewed.
So men don’t let anyone cause you to disown the idea of being “wild” for God. There are just too many men who are niece and proper, having been squeezed into the mold of the culture, afraid of letting go of the controls. They spend a life time keeping the lid on their true emotions. A wild man is one who is willing, by the grace of God, to take the hand of Jesus, and be lead into true masculine maturity, being able to fully express the whole range of emotions that is unique to each wild man. What this world needs is more of these”wildmen.” Remember the true hallmark of these wildmen is humiliy and love. Humility because they know it is all about God’s grace and love because this is what is at the core of a wildman’s heart
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