The Carnival Embodies a Village Demonstration Project
The Carnival Village is one arm of the game we play. We use rocket stoves fueled by sticks to cook our meals from food gleaned and gathered. We eat around a fire together without our phones and gadgets. We play with energy use, waste management, transportation. Though there are times that the public joins us, the village is home to our Carnival community and quite often our school for continued growth together as a crew.
Highlights
- Sleeping on the earth and feeling the weather
- Circling around to sing, pray, and eat
- Cooking for the community without using fossil fuels or electricity
- Carrying water and washing dishes
- Managing the community waste with a simple composting system.
- Receiving the grace of farm produce, righteous dumpster catches, and gifts of peanut butter from neighbors
- Getting silly with our clothespin game
- Taking time to talk and resolving conflicts intentionally
- Being absurd, goading laughter, mocking the powers
- Sinking into deep conversations around the campfire
- Packing the kitchen gear into the perfect jigsaw puzzle within the travel van.
Our village life is so much work, but, oh, such a satisfying life. Still, we call it our Holy Game. Most of us will return to “normal lives.” Amazingly, many find that a real change has taken place. All of this that surrounds us and seems to claim to be necessary in some way, within the game, it’s lost some of its power. Maybe normal life is a game, too. Now which game is more holy? Which one closer to God’s dream?