foot washing

There's a story the real life world's most interesting man, Bob Goeff, tells. 

Background: Bob always looks like he can't wait to be where he is. And he just leaks love like most people reek Starbucks. Among the epic stories he's lived: he's the consulate for Uganda, was the first person to ever successfully have a witch doctor convicted in Uganda. He publishes his personal cell number in the back of the first book he ever wrote. Which went on to be a New York Times Bestseller.

Anyway, once a year, he invites all the witch doctors in Uganda to meet him, then tells them they have to stop killing and maiming kids. He says if they don't, he'll go after them. And will not stop. 

Then he kneels before them and washes their feet. 

Imagine. Just for a moment, some lawyer, some stranger from a country on the other side of the world kneeling before you. And washing your feet. 

Being raised in a conservative faith tradition, I can honestly say there are few things as powerful as having your feet washed. Washing someone else's might be equal.

It seems simple. Enter a room filled with benches and sit there. Someone, maybe a friend, maybe a complete stranger from a different church removes your shoes, socks, hose. Resting your feet on the towel, handfuls of water fall over your exposed skin while time becomes hushed and reverent. Sounds disappear, and the air fills with intimacy so thick it smells of incense. Another towel dries your feet. Time lulls.

Even if it's only a slow, intentional rinse and dry, it feels like love. Free, unexpected. Just offered for the taking.

And in the end, secret, dirty parts slide away. Somewhere between sitting and resting your drying feet on a towel, things slip, walls wisp.

That after-time calls to the deeper parts of the soul, hallowing the thought every experience of worth costs. There is none here, no tit-for-tat, no backscratching.

It's just water, and a towel. And an unexpected glimpse of something fuller.

For the history of footwashing and how it connected to Lent more robustly in the past, click here.

Sacred Lent, 
such a blessed journey.


John 13:14-17