A Maundy Thursday Meditation on Foot Washing

Between Silly and Sacred

Slim feet, long feet,

baby feet, old feet,

athlete feet, worker feet

bare feet, no feet.

Beautiful young feet in sandals with toe polish;

Crusty, bunioned old feet with toe cheese.

I love my feet. They get me places.

When I stand on tip-toe, I can see forbidden things.

I hate my feet. They’re ugly and remind me of my age.

Life is all backwards; my nose runs and my feet smell.

My feet took me to the top of a mountain...

Down the aisle at my wedding...

Into the Grand Canyon...

Out of a house where a woman pointed a gun at me...

I feel silly taking my shoes off in front of you.

You don’t know the story of my feet.

You only know what they look like.

I feel vulnerable taking off my shoes in front of you.

What if I find you attractive...

What if you find me attractive...

What if you find me unattractive...

What if you make inferences about me

based on my feet...

What if you wish I had bathed just before coming...

What if being out of control makes me feel out of control...

What if I wish I could leave right now...

What if I’m just going through the motions

because Christians are supposed to do this..

What if I’m doing this because someone told me I should

and I’m resenting it...

Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your FEET as you leave that house or town.

(Matthew 10: 11-14)

I think I need a dust shaker now.

What peace do I have to give to a house or town?

But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe-the best one-and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his FEET. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!”

(Luke 15: 22-24)

Wait! He doesn’t deserve that.

Shouldn’t he have to grovel?

He thought he would have to.

Let him go cool his feet himself.

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “God and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ FEET and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.

(Luke 17: 11-16)

I went away from home once..

well, more than once..

and it was hard to get my feet moving to go home.

I wanted more freedom..

more say-so..

fewer constraints..

fewer voices telling me what to do..

I’m not sure what finally made me move.

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ FEET and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered, “You do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

(John 13: 5-7)

You’re damn right I don’t know what you are doing.

I don’t know whether I’m choosing this willingly or doing it out of duty.

I don’t know whether this means I’m giving away power or getting it.

I don’t know whether I’m giving anything to you..

Let it be this, at least for tonight..

That I need God..

I need God to humble me when I become self-important..

I need God to re-direct me when I become a package wrapped up in myself..

So I un-sock my stinky foot,

and I try not to worry whether the lint from my socks will float in the water,

and I look into your faces

in the hope that even face language will speak loudly tonight,

and I look for what the risk is in this for you,

and hope that you’ll do the same for me.

And I hope that if you or I give up something tonight,

it will be what we choose to give up,

rather than something the church or society tells us we have to give up

in order to be good Christians worshiping a sweet, private Jesus.

You do not know what I am doing, but later you will understand.

I hope it’s not much later.

© 2003 John Thornburg