Washing More Feet (Guest Sermon by Sam Troia)

John 13:31-35 (NRSV)
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him,[a] God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

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Washing feet has always been something I detested. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem washing my feet. But growing up during holy week, I would hear this reading and get disgusted. I would watch the priest wash everyone’s feet and beg my parents to not let me be apart of it. I’m not sure if it is because I was self conscious about my feet or hated the feeling of not being in control but there was something about it that made it feel like nails on a chalk board for me. I actually lost a bet with my sister that required me to get a pedicure it was the furthest thing from relaxing.

But then I got into occupational therapy school and had to get over that real quick. As OTs we focus on self care tasks and part of my job in DC was to teach people how to wash their feet or in most cases wash it for them. With my first patient, I had about 5 seconds of staring at their feet in the shower, knowing that because of their spinal cord injury I would have to wash them before I looked up and made eye contact with them. All of those feelings of disgust, hesitation, and doubt that were in my head faded as the two of us had a conversation with our eyes. He knew for the first time that he could not reach his feet and depended on someone to do it for him.

My emotions that I felt previously shifted as I began to feel their emotions of guilt, shame, and fear and all I could do was look at them and assure them I was with them.  In this moment, I was truly present with someone at their most vulnerable. As time went on, I taught that person how to wash themselves and they did not need me anymore but I consistently think back to that transition from being in my own head to being so connected and with that person. The more patients I saw the quicker that transition was but these experiences of full vulnerability has taught me so much more about humanity. The act of washing someone who cannot wash themselves leads to this powerful connection that Jesus talks about    in today’s reading. When Peter rejects Jesus’s offer to wash his feet, as honestly I would do, Jesus replies with, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.

Not all of us will find ourselves in a position like mine where you will have to legitimately wash someone’s feet. How does washing feet translate into today’s realty? I like to translate this quote as, “Unless I see you, you will not see me.” The Jesuits brainwash you to Find God in All Things. Look to the birds and see them fly freely as God intended. Look to the people who have brought you all the blessings in your life and thank God for the opportunity to use those blessings. Look to the most vulnerable and see God in them as God sees you. In my eyes, this is the basic element of service. Looking at a person as that individual and reminding them that I see them, I am with them.

So many people in my life have washed my feet, again, not literally, but they have looked at me and reminded me that they see me. They have washed my metaphorical feet and have allowed me to go forth to wash for and with others. With every person I advocate for, treat, or meet in the streets, I hold their blessings they have bestowed on me close to my heart and try to set the example that had been set for me.

I take this Easter as an opportunity to reflect and recognize those people who have blessed me with their presence in the hopes that their presence carries on throughout my future, whatever that holds. I recognize that I have gifts and blessings that should not be kept from my community. But I also recognize that so do you. As Jesus washed his disciple’s feet, and you all have washed mine, I ask us, how can we wash more? Jesus said, “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s feet.” I believe that this lives beyond one act. This embodies all of our actions.  Jesus did not stop with his disciples. He set out to wash the world’s feet but setting the example for his disciples.

While we were meeting with our small group last night we reflected on our Lenten promises. Lent for me has transitioned from giving up sweets and meat on Fridays for 40 days to adding something to my life to bring me closer to God. For some people, their Lenten promise included leaning into difficult relationships, others wanted to read more, and some chose to give up chocolate. For me, I chose to acknowledge God’s presences when I saw Her. In times of pure bliss and times of despair, I made the conscious effort to say, I see you. So as Jesus’s disciples did not stop washing feet after forty days, I too aspire to wash more feet.

May our Lenten promises live beyond these forty days as we sit in this uncomfortable vulnerability of washing more feet through our personal hesitation and doubt may we see God’s presence and love more clearly.