It's time for a theology of encounter
by Mike Jordan Laskey | Jun. 4, 2015
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Today in Rome, a eucharistic procession for the feast of Corpus Christi will wind its way from the Basilica of St. John Lateran to the Basilica of St. Mary Major. On Sunday, Catholics here in the United States will celebrate this solemnity that's about the ways we can encounter God in the world -- specifically in the Eucharist, of course, but also in the other sacraments, in Scripture, in the created universe, and in the community.
That word, "encounter," is one of Pope Francis' favorites, popping up often in his public addresses and used 32 times in his apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel. He talks about encounter as an antidote to our "throwaway culture," in which people who are seen as useless are cast aside: the unborn, the elderly, immigrants, the poor. If we encounter Christ in those people who are usually marginalized and get to know them, then we won't be able to throw them away. You don't ignore and neglect a friend.
I use "encounter" all the time when introducing Catholic social teaching to parish and school groups. It seems to hook people with an accessibility and emphasis on relationship that other terms like "human dignity," "solidarity and subsidiarity," "call to participation," and "preferential option" lack. I talk about these essential concepts, too, but using encounter first lets people start with a person instead of with an encyclical or a bullet-point list of teachings.
Following Pope Francis' lead, we Catholics should develop a "theology of encounter." The term is too rich, and the current "Pope Francis moment" is too big, to miss this opportunity. So here is a call for professional theologians to think and write about encounter, for ordained and lay ministers to create and share pastoral initiatives around encounter, and for the rest of the faithful to talk about and practice encounter in our daily lives. I think a robust "theology of encounter" might be a key to helping Catholic social teaching finally shed its sad tagline as the "best-kept secret" of the church.
http://ncronline.org/blogs/young-voices/its-time-theology-encounter
