Encounters (2)
With all the talk of "social-distancing" a term which we had hardly heard a few weeks ago but now trips of tongues in every setting and is sung from every news bulletin, perhaps now is the perfect moment to talk about the power and beauty of encounter. Because, I would suggest, there is actually, sadly, nothing very new about social distancing: what has changed is we are being asked, potentially, to keep our distance from our own communities: but invisible walls, in society and in ourselves, have long created social-distancing from those we identify as "the other": and with it the fear and distrust that is inherent in the unknown. Just as now there is lots of discussion about creatively overcoming the barriers posed by physical distance from our loved ones, to ensure relationship is maintained; perhaps it is also a good moment to reflect on how we overcome the unseen divides that keep us from understanding the lives of our neighbours. Perhaps it makes sense to r