COMMON GROUND
SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Two days ago, the leaders of both the parties (the Republican and the Democrat) had a summit at the White House with the President Obama. After the meeting they said, “We are trying to find a common ground where we can work together for the good of the country. “ Most of the time people talk about the differences that separate them rather than the common thread that ties them together। The result is not peace but competition, jealousy, rivalry and division.

Finding the common ground and coming together as one family is the challenge of Jesus’ ‘coming। All the readings for the second Sunday of Advent talk about this reality. For example, in the first reading, Prophet Isaiah envisioned the messianic era where everyone lives in peace with one another. He said, “Then the wolf shall be the guest of the lamb….There shall be no ruin or harm on my entire holy mountain…” Yes! Peaceful human co-existence must be the result of Jesus’ coming.

To fulfill this messianic vision of life we need a common ground. We find this common ground in the person of Jesus. He is the common image of the entire humanity। In the mystery of incarnation, this image became a visible reality. If we experience division and conflict today, its primary reason is our failure to see this image in each other. Instead of seeing the image of Jesus in each other, we see our own image. We stress too much on independence ignoring the natural law of interdependence. To assert my ‘self’ and my ‘right’, I focus on my uniqueness that individuates me from others. We tend to limit our life to ourselves. The result is temporary good feeling and permanent feeling of loneliness. We express our lonesomeness through antisocial behaviors.

To have a harmonious existence, our hearts needs to be conformed to that of Jesus। It is by developing having the attitude of Christ ‘who though in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped, rather emptied himself’.

For many people conversion to Jesus means going to Church and doing religious rituals. Conversion is more than that. John says, “Produce good fruit as evidence of repentance.” We produce the fruits of conversion when we grow from rituals to relationship. The ultimate purpose of repentance is building bridges with one another. Paul exhorts the church of Rom the same thing. The reason for reaching out the other is the mystery of incarnation. Human body becomes the dwelling place of God. This is our common ground.
Harmonious co-existence is possible when every person lives the threefold Christ-principle. They are:
Mutual acceptance
Mutual respect
Mutual promotion

On this second Sunday of Advent, let us ask these questions. Do I accept others as they are? Do I respect their rightful place and position in the community? Do I give the other what is due to him/her?