Holy Thursday Reflection: Worthy Feet

The basin is filled. He ties a towel around his waist. He kneels in service. I feel not worthy. He's showing me the way - that all are worthy. He gently guides my weathered, callous and tired feet into the basin of water and it quenches the thirst and soothes the hurt from miles of terrain…all those steps. All those steps that I did or didn't want to take. He whispers, “I was there.”

He was there at my first step, 43 years ago, and all other steps of firsts - into school, across the state line, on an airplane, aboard a ship, among new cultures, down a long church aisle, across the threshold of home, in seedlings of grass and sap of pine, along main street in mouse ears, through hospital doors, births, deaths and miracles.

In love. In pain. Every step.

As he lifts my foot from the basin, the water drops roll off from the bottom of my heels – my heart begins to heal.

As the towel wipes clean the stains on the souls of my feet – my soul renews and is reminded of my divine worth.

He then moves down the line to wash another. He takes my eyes off of my own two feet, and onto my neighbor’s toes.

Jesus is showing me the way that all are worthy of His boundless care and ceaselss love.

His love was our very first, and it is why we love.

Love that’s an action verb.

Love that uses our feet and hands to serve.

A Love that will stand for an eternity.

John 13: "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord - and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."