be-musings

Many Christians imitate Christ's washing of the disciples feet as a symbol of servanthood to one another. The Bible story is fairly well known. Washing someone's feet would have been a lowly job. Walking many miles was common, sandals would have let the feet get very dirty, and the feet probably would have stunk badly with the dirt, garbage, and sweat. Not a pretty sight. The household of this setting should have provided a servant to clean the feet of the guests as they arrived, but did not. Jesus himself took the position of the lowly. It's a wonderful story. Yet, I usually feel there is no little or no transferred significance to our current culture... or at least not in my life.
We have a friend who has crippling arthritis. It is an uncommon type where the joints fuse together. It has been a painful life for him, and the times when his spine was on the verge of fusing were incredibly difficult. Once the fusing was complete, though he was relatively immobile or definitely inflexible the pain was subdued. This illness hasn't stopped his passion for life and willingness to try new things. He'll think of a way to make things work.
Ken always wears socks, even in the summer under his sandals. It's not to keep his feet clean. It's because he doesn't want to show his gnarled, twisted feet. If not for his comfort then definitely for the comfort of others.
One day at a small Christian gathering, it was decided that everyone would wash the feet of the person next to them, continuing in the circle. Ken froze. He didn't want to expose his feet and even worse have someone touch their grotesqueness. But yet he so wanted to participate in the tradition of servanthood.
It came time for Ken's turn. He embarrassingly took off his socks in preparation to be washed. He would understand if the other person wouldn't want to do it. He had to be ready for anything.
Without hesitation the person took Ken's feet and washed them, blessing them. No fear. No expression of disgust or putridness. Simple obedience with a servant's heart. Ken wept. The unlovely had been loved. The worst part of him was the best part for that moment.

Many of us feel unlovely. We feel we are grotesque at times...or most times. We don't feel we can be touched. Until someone does. And they don't flinch. And they don't gag. And we know that through them the Creator is telling us that he has made something beautiful, despite how we view ourselves. In that transforming moment we believe it. And when we can't, someone will believe it for us. Just listen to them. Just watch them. Just give in to them...to Him.