One of the things I didn’t realize when I moved to South Carolina was how much dust my cowboy boots would gather. Most of the year, it’s just too hot but when the weather cools down, putting them back on is like a catch-up with an old friend. However, I have made friends with new shoe wear, and I had no idea that flip flops came in the assortment that they do. Many of my buddies who are native to this region wear them year-round. The drawback is your heels get calloused, and your feet stay more dirty more of the time. One thing for sure is on a flip-flop day; I have to stop and wash my feet before crawling into bed. From a hygienic perspective, my cowboy boots were lower maintenance, and the skin on my heels was softer. Still, I have learned to embrace the ritual of nightly foot washing, hanging my feet over the edge of the bathtub, and letting the warm water run over them after a good soaping. I love going to bed with happy feet.
Several years ago, the mission team I served with had the opportunity to partner with a ministry in Peru aptly named “Happy Feet,” where we helped supply socks and shoes to the poorest children in the region of Via Salvadore in Lima. The ministry involved the children coming and waiting in line to have their feet washed by us(by the way, with cold water in their late winter because no hot water is available) and then fitted with new socks and tennis shoes. The shoes were an assortment of bright colors and patterns, and the kids were so excited to get them. The team and I saw many hammer toes from wearing shoes too small, calloused feet from extensive barefoot walking along dirt roads and sewage, and the dirtiest of feet with long ingrown toenails. We laughed and spoke” Spanglish “, hugged, smiled, shared stories as best we could as we sat on stools or squatted to wash their feet. It was a blessing to see so many happy feet in one place. One little girl, in particular, about eight y.o, came up the hill toward the makeshift foot clinic at the local church( in America, it would be known as a shack) crying, carrying a baby in her arms wrapped in a pink blanket. Her mom had to work that day, so she was left to care for her baby sister, and she was crying because she needed shoes and was afraid she would miss the chance. We assured her she was not too late, took the 5 or 6-month-old baby to care for, and sat her down and began to meet her needs. I hadn’t washed many feet before going to Peru but washing those two little feet made the word of God alive in my heart and humbled me to my innermost being to think of the King of Glory, Christ Himself, serving others as He washed the feet of His disciples.
The account in John 13 is such an intimate, quiet display of the passion Jesus had for serving others. In Matthew 20:28, Jesus said the “Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life- a ransom for many. Think of a room lit by lanterns and candlelight, Christ rising from the table, removing His outer garments, taking up a towel and basin, and sitting at the feet of James or John and removing their sandals. Next, pouring water from the pitcher and gently massaging the dirt of the day off of another grown man’s foot. I love that the scriptures say in John 13 that Jesus loved the disciples to the end. I like to meditate on how He loved them from the top of their head to the end of their toes.
The Happy Feet campaign was so sweet and exciting until the moment when after all the prelim was done, and you had to start the scrub. You were mindful of all the street trash, animal, and human waste these little feet had walked through, but the job wasn’t complete until you actually touched those feet. It was a commitment to serve every time a child sat down, and we arrived at that moment of touch. Touch is the follow-through of the heart. That is what Jesus demonstrated that night as He washed the feet of those He had ministered to and taught. Ideas, plans, programs, intentions are the process of ministry, but the touching moment, the scrub scene, is where we either ante up and get dirty and wet or not. Jesus touched the leper, the blind, the prostitute, the beggar, the dirty in His earthly ministry and handed off the baton to us as His followers. The touch of Christ on our own heart calls us to cross the lines of discomfort and judgment, swallow our pride and not hire out or delegate the serving of the “foot-washing” to the world but actually, as Nike says, “just do it.” But oh, how we like to skip the dirty part of the job. This is where the Pharisees and Jesus parted company. They considered themselves clean by the law, had no need for grace, and certainly had no grace or mercy of the dirt of others. Feet or otherwise.
Though Peter was resistant to accept this ministry from Jesus when Christ made it plain that unless Peter embraced the act, he was not a part of Christ and His family. Of course, passionate Peter then asks for a bath, still misunderstanding the motive. The example that Jesus set is about the willingness to humble yourself and serve. Jesus goes on to explain that His desire is for the disciples to serve each other and be served in humility. Jesus wants us to serve and accept acts of service with gratitude and not an entitlement. He calls us to serve out of love. His love for us enables us to grow love for others.
As I continue to reflect on the passion of Christ, I must ask myself, what’s my passion quotient look like?. Do I have a hunger to serve the poor? Not just the financially disenfranchised but the poor in spirit? Do I only want to wash size 6.5 (my size) well-pedicured feet that have been spoiled by soft socks and designer shoes? Or do I want to be the water girl, willing to carry water, fold towels, organize the line of those in need? Do I have a passion for the squat and scrub portion or excuse myself with the whitewashed diversion that “actual touching or washing dirt” just isn’t my gift. After all, writing a check is acceptable, right?
Lord, though my feet may be clean, I have a heart that needs cleaning and refreshing. , Reveal the feet that are in my circle that need washing. Revive my passion to learn by your example. Remind me that when I follow after you, the steps I take are where my feet will really be happy.
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