Encountering Christ

Mike Van Vranken, Diocese Of Shreveport Spiritual Advisor

SOMEONE RECENTLY ASKED ME HOW WE FIND THE AWE IN GOD THAT WE USED TO FEEL.

We discussed liturgy, Eucharist, adoration, the sacraments, and sacramentals like candles, statuary, paintings, icons, and even our own postures of kneeling, standing, and making the sign of the cross. We both agreed that all of these can help us find awe and wonder in God, but they are not what produces the awe and wonder. They are only a vehicle or a means to an end. It must be something else; something deeper. We finally, and simultaneously, realized we experience awe and wonder when we encounter Christ. The liturgies and sacraments and postures do not create awe. They do, however, offer us the opportunity to encounter God in all of these and more. And the encounter we have is always with the entire Holy Trinity, and at the same time, uniquely with the risen Christ.

“I pray . . . that they may all be one, as you Father are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us . . . So that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me, . . . and that you loved them even as you loved me” John (17: 21-23).

When we read these verses in the context of precrucifixion and pre-resurrection, they may appear to offer a prescription or something we must do to be one with Christ or one with God. I believe the meaning is deeper. Post-resurrection, the risen Christ said he’d always be with us (Mt. 28:20). Always means all the time.

When Jesus prayed that we “be” one, I don’t think He was implying we had to do something before we could be one with Him. Jesus was praying that we “be” one. In other words, to be so conscious of our already oneness with Christ that we act like what we already are. That we live what we already are. That we “be” in every sense of the word – one. Because we are always one with Christ. We know the image of God is imprinted in every person. We also know that Christ is the visible “image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15). Consequently, we can find

Christ in everyone, all the time.

Now, back to the awe and wonder. If we find reverence, awe, and wonder when we encounter Christ, and Christ is preeminent in all things (Col 1:18), then we can experience this reverence, awe, and wonder everywhere we look by consciously and lovingly encountering Christ in everyone and everything. This stimulates some questions we can ask ourselves.

• Am I willing to encounter Christ in a nonChristian?

• Am I willing to encounter Christ in science?

• Am I willing to encounter Christ in every person in the LGBTQIA+ community?

• Am I willing to encounter Christ in the prisoner?

• Am I willing to encounter Christ in the lonely?

• Am I willing to encounter Christ in myself?

• Am I willing to encounter Christ in creation?

Awe and wonder come from the encounter. Love and mercy come from the encounter. Relationships and healing come from the encounter. Everything holy, even grace itself comes from an encounter with Christ. Can we listen for Christ in others and find awe and wonder? Can we see and touch Christ in others and find awe and wonder? This is what our journey with God is all about. He so loved the world (His creation) that He sent His son. And all we must do is be conscious of His presence, conscious of our union with Christ and we can have an experience of encounter with Christ.

These encounters are encounters of love – the love of God. Once we experience God’s love for us and His creation in the encounter, we are struck with such awe and wonder, we desire to fall madly, passionately, and intimately in love with God. Once this happens, something in us changes. We stop being judgmental. We start forgiving. We welcome everyone. And we love all of God’s creation because it is anywhere in creation that we may encounter Christ.