Washing Feet Today
Image from international fine art photographer Julia Fullerton-Batten, commissioned for He Gets Us
Have you ever washed someone’s feet?
Have you ever had someone wash your feet?
What was that like for you?
I know this is probably not the norm in the general population, but as someone who grew up in Catholic ministry programs, learning about servant leadership in a Christian context, teaching others about Christian, servant leadership, and worshipping regularly in a faith community, I’ve experienced my fair share of foot-washings.
They never get easy, or comfortable.
And they’re probably not supposed to.
Wash one another’s feet
Today is Holy Thursday, the day that Christians recall Jesus’ Last Supper and the beginning of his Passion. Yet while the liturgy of the day is named the “Mass of the Lord’s Supper” the Gospel reading proclaimed is John’s account of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet.
No bread, no wine. Instead, a towel, some water, and a basin.
And then the challenge: Jesus’ instruction that his followers should do this for others. “If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” (John 13: 14-15)
Even though it’s uncomfortable.
It’s uncomfortable to wash feet. Especially if you don’t particularly like feet. Let’s be honest - it feels incredibly intimate and perhaps even gross.
And it’s uncomfortable to have your feet washed, too. Again, the intimacy of it can literally make our toes curl. To receive such a gesture can make us feel ashamed or embarrassed.
Think of Peter’s response to Jesus: “No, Lord, you’ll never wash my feet!”
And what might have been going through the mind and heart of Judas Iscariot as Jesus washed his feet just hours before Judas betrayed him?
What was going through Jesus’ mind? Yes, he was God… but he was also human.
If all of these dynamics are true of literal foot washings, then they’re also true for figurative foot washings… those acts of charity, mercy, and compassion that we offer in service to others. Serving others may be the right thing to do, but that doesn’t make it comfortable or easy.
My story
On February 28, 2020, the Diocese of Buffalo filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection due to the alarming number of sexual abuse claims filed against it as a result of New York State’s Child Victims Act. That same day, the Department of Youth & Young Adult Ministry (which I directed) kicked off its annual Youth Convention, a weekend-long conference designed to enliven the faith of teenagers and strengthen their connection to the Church.
To say that the timing was awkward or unfortunate might have been the understatement of the year.
As part of the opening session, some of our top diocesan officials made an appearance to greet the hundreds of teens who had gathered for the event. As I introduced them, I shared with the young people how difficult this day must have been for these officials, and I tried to help these teens and adult ministry leaders understand how hard these men were working to forge a path forward for our local church in spite of the challenges we faced.
While I knew that the coming days, weeks, and months would be difficult, I spoke sincerely about their leadership and their need for our support. And I led the community in earnest, heartfelt prayer for them.
Less than four weeks later, our entire department was eliminated and I lost my job.
And those men that I’d empathetically and charitably prayed for – and invited hundreds of others to pray for – were the ones who made that decision.
I stand by my choice to “wash their feet” and extend compassion and service in that moment. But I’m glad that – unlike Jesus – I’m fully human and didn’t have foreknowledge of what was to come.
Washing feet is hard. But Jesus calls me to it anyhow.
Your story
What have been your “figurative foot washing” moments?
The Holy Thursday liturgy and Gospel reading give us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the challenges of following the model of Jesus. As you hear or read the passage from the Gospel of John (John 13: 1-15), consider it an invitation to call to mind your experience with uncomfortable service:
When have you, like Jesus, reached out in love and service to others, including those you know don’t like you or respect you, or might even betray you?
When have you, like Jesus, gotten into trouble or been criticized for serving "outcasts" with generosity?
When have you, like Peter, refused to accept love, kindness, and mercy from someone else, choosing pride and isolation over connection and vulnerability?
When have you, like Judas, been offered care and compassion from someone you disliked, maybe even someone you subsequently mistreated?
The amazing thing about these questions is that even if we can think of times when our response (as the would-be-washer or the intended wash-ee) was less than ideal, Jesus’ response to us is the same.
He wraps that towel around his waist again, and bends to gently take our foot…
Our next story
Where are we called to wash feet today?
The answer to this question is as unique and personal as each individual. We’re all in different contexts, with different circumstances, different gifts, and different opportunities.
But no matter your context, the world today desperately needs those who are willing to do what’s hard and uncomfortable and wash one another’s feet.
To inspire your prayer and perhaps your action, I’ll close by sharing this image gallery. A picture is worth 1,000 words, and I think these images complete this blog post better than anything else I can say. I hope you’ll take a few moments to prayerfully reflect on these images and consider whose feet you might be called to wash next.
And I’d love to pray for you and with you as you consider this, so please do let me know what image is most meaningful – or perhaps most challenging – to you.
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