Ecumenical Sunday
Date: 13th January 2015. Philippians
2:1-12
Vs 5. Let the same
mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus
To possess the
mind of Christ we require Spiritual practising. Ecumenical Sunday implies on
unity among denominations, religion, nations, and finally the creation. Hebrew
traditions celebrate unity as important aspect of having right relations. To
build unity let us analyse four requisites:
1. Let the
devotion of Christ be in you:
This verse
implies, let the like mindedness of Jesus be in you. Let the same attitude
of Jesus be in you. Let the same devotion (which means ‘Bhakthi’, ‘samarpanam’)
which Jesus had be in you.
Mark 12:30
says, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your
soul, and with all your strength.” When we ae able to practise this love
for our Lord this is when we can have the same devotion of God. We need to
question ourselves regarding where we stand in our relationship to Christ?
2. Vulnerability
of God Head:
Vs 6. Says “who,
though he was in the form of God did not regard equality with God as something
to be exploited”
The last part
is given different wording in different version of bible as exploited/grasped/closed.
Thus Jesus did
not consider his God head as a privilege, something to exercise Domination or
power, as a means to create divisions, or to be made himself, or to be made
exclusive. This is the meaning of incarnation. This is the vulnerability of
God-head. He offered himself, broke himself, opened himself and gave it to his
creation. He did not use his position to create hierarchy, hegemony and
separation.
Do we use
justice, truth and intelligence to create hierarchy, separation and hegemony?
3. Obedience unto
Death:
Vs 7 and 8
says, “but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human
likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient
to the point of death – even death on a cross.”
Every step of
self emptying is an act of loving God, giving hope to God, an Act of Obedience
to God. Christ preffered death than to create differences, exploitation and
separation. His death proclaims to the creation that Jesus is the Lord of All.
We need to do and continue a service of humility and building democratic
relationship to win people back to God.
4. Work out your
own Salvation:
Vs. 12 says, “workout
your own salvation with fear and trembling”
We need to play
our part for our salvation. Salvation requires a human participation. This is
the new revelation put by Apostle Paul, the above process of devotion and love
to Christ must be practiced for our salvation
As we celebrate the unity of
relationship, let us examine the kind of relationship that we maintain. We have
been called on to witness, teach and spread the message of Christ to All. May
God bless us.