The
Joy of the Gospel
In this negative context, “the
other,” meaning human beings
other than ourselves, is beyond our
grasp. We are destined to live and
die alone.
Such a mentality about “the
other” is one of the unfortunate
underpinnings of a relativistic
worldview. If I am ultimately an
isolated individual with no real
possibility of connection to others,
then I become a self-contained, selfobsessed island, and the sole arbiter
of good and evil in my life.
Francis teaches us, however, to
consistently view “the other” as a
person with whom we are compelled
by Jesus to share the joy of the gospel,
a person who presents to us a unique
opportunity for evangelization.
“The other” represents all those
with whom we come into contact.
Each person, with his or her array
of circumstances, qualities, and
experiences, embodies a particular
opportunity for growth in holiness,
laid out before us, when we
consider how we will approach,
as missionaries, each particular
situation.
Francis’ explanations indicate that there is no opportunity
for selectivity on our part. “Others” includes not just those
who please us, not just those who share our views, and not
just those who are clean, smell good, and are well-dressed.
Francis here reflects Scripture, which is remarkable for its
lack of qualifiers in terms of whom we should love. Nor does
Scripture advise loving some more than others: “If you show
partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as
transgressors” (Jas 2:9).
In fact, loving our brothers and sisters is a sign of our love
for God: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother,
he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has
seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20).
Francis makes this point when he writes, “Loving others is a
spiritual force drawing us to union with God” (no. 271).
A major theme in this exhortation relates to the pope’s
specific emphasis upon acts of service as sources of joy. He
is urging us to “lose ourselves” to the service of others. The
intentional and fruitful accompaniment of others is one
important expression of our missionary work.
The “Art” of Accompaniment
As part of his exhortation to us to
evangelize everyone we encounter,
Pope Francis spends considerable
ink describing how to “accompany”
others. Obviously he believes that
effective Christian accompaniment is
an essential skill for all evangelizers.
We live in a culture, the pope
points out, in which many feel they
are drowning in anonymity. And yet,
almost paradoxically, certain outlets
in society, especially in television,
print outlets, and social media, seem
obsessed with revealing embarrassingly
intimate or ridiculously minute details
of people’s personal lives.
The “art of accompaniment,”
according to Francis, has nothing to
do with an obsession with others’
lives but instead involves a steady
willingness to act compassionately.
He reminds us that the purpose of
Christian accompaniment, regardless
of whatever temporal needs we might
respond to in the lives of others,
is always meant to lead those we
accompany into a closer relationship
with God. Our accompaniment
becomes a meaningless, empty exercise if it is not a constant
“pilgrimage with Christ to the Father” (no. 170). A purely
secular approach to accompaniment, while it may temporarily
alleviate some suffering, can never fully address the spiritual
starvation from which many suffer due to their separation
from Jesus Christ and thus from God the Father.
Just as any Christian discernment process emphasizes
our need to listen to God, those who accompany others
must also be good listeners. Listening that leads to spiritual
growth is often drowned out by the deafening literal and
figurative noise of the over-stimulation we often face.
“Listening,” Francis explains, “is an openness of heart
which makes possible that closeness without which genuine
spiritual encounter cannot occur.” In addition to listening,
accompaniment also requires correction of our brothers and
sisters: “The Gospel tells us how to correct others and to help
them grow . . . but without making judgments about their
responsibility and culpability” (no. 172).
“‘Others’ includes not just
those who please us, not just
those who share our views.”
12
MOSAIC
Social Content of the Kerygma
The kerygma, or the first and most basic message that offers
us salvation in Jesus Christ, speaks to us first as individuals.