Exodus 12:1-14; Psalm 116:1, 10-17; I Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35
During WWI, trench warfare was a standard tactic in waging battle. Digging long trenches – some nearly 2 miles long - allowed for a strong defense against enemy small arms fire and artillery. But high groundwater tables and cold, wet weather meant that soldiers would find themselves slogging knee deep in mud and slush. Boots would be overtopped and fill with frigid, dirty water and eventually lead to the condition we know as trench foot. In the winter months from late 1914 to early 1915, over 20,000 British soldiers were treated for the condition and it is estimated that trench foot killed around 2,000 American and 75,000 British troops throughout all of the war.
It starts with “...a little tingling, an itching sensation. Then pain, swelling, cold and blotchy skin, numbness, and a prickly or heavy feeling in the foot. The foot may be red, dry, and painful after it becomes warm. Blisters may form, followed by skin and tissue dying and falling off. In severe cases, untreated trench foot can involve the toes, heel, or the entire foot.” [from the CDC website] and at its worst, it can lead to gangrene, sepsis, and death. Now, preventing trench foot is relatively simple. The feet just need to be exposed to the air regularly and kept clean and dry. In an attempt to keep it in check, soldiers were ordered to check their feet every day, to keep them clean, and to change into dry socks. But it wasn’t that simple. In its early stages, it was relatively easy to ignore and the soldiers, busy with the urgency of battle, neglected these simple practices. The men in the trenches continued to fall not just to the enemy across the battle lines, but to the quiet enemy gnawing at their feet.
The tide didn’t start to turn until a subtle, but revolutionary change was made. The soldiers were paired off - and each was made responsible for inspecting the other’s feet daily. If you were responsible for your buddy, you were less likely to neglect the task. Protecting the feet became no
longer an individual effort, but a COMMUNITY effort. This simple act of servanthood, of looking out for one another, caused a drastic drop in the instances of trench foot and many, MANY lives were saved.
How terribly mired we can become in our relationships with our families, friends, co-workers, and neighbors as we get bogged down in resentment, guilt, anger, and unforgiveness. Little things about each other nag at us -- the perceived slights or the thoughtless acts. If we are not mindful, they can slowly and almost imperceptibly eat at us. Like trench foot, there’s a little itching and tingling and we try to not think about it too much. Maybe we can just let sleeping dogs lie, bite our tongues. But, if we do, those little things insipidly take hold, often before we are aware of the damage they
are doing. The anger and hurt are internalized and pushed down as we try to ignore them. But these small irritants, if allowed to continue, will eventually reach critical mass and rage out of control, threatening entire relationships, not to mention our own spiritual and mental health.
“Simon Peter said to [Jesus], ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!’ Jesus said to him, ‘He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over.’”
Our baptism into Christ means that we are clean all over. God has forgiven our sins - all of them - but that does not mean we stop sinning. Our relationship with God has been mended and sealed in Jesus, but our relationships with each other still require effort, communication, servanthood,... foot washing. As much as we try not to, we will sometimes hurt each other with thoughtless words and actions, perhaps never aware of the level of hurt we have inflicted. Likewise, we will be hurt by others who may or may not realize what they have done. We can be hurt by our spouses or significant others, by our best friends, and by fellow parishioners or clergy. And we cannot handle these hurts on our own.
“After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, [Jesus] said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.’"
Note that Jesus does not merely say that we ought to keep our feet clean – take care of ourselves - but that we ought (and this is more of a command than it is a suggestion) to wash each other’s feet. We must serve each other. Like soldiers, we are responsible for each other’s well-being. We are to care for each other’s wounds, especially those we have caused. But more than that, we must look to prevent them. We have to look for the small beginnings that lead to bigger wounds and get them out into the open, washed away before they become toxic. We must regularly do the unpleasant work of exposing these hurts to the open air – of “Airing our grievances,” and confessing our faults. And this is not an individual undertaking. Like preventing trench foot, it is a group effort. It requires communication (and note that the root of the word “communication” is the same as in “community”).
Talking to each other is what brings us together and what allows us to understand each other’s pain. We have to be prepared for tough conversations that might sting at first, like salve on a blister, but that will prevent the wounds from getting deeper and more dangerous. Talking and listening are the beginning of healing. Many ruined friendships or failed marriages owe their demise to a lack of communication. Every act of partisanship or of war started with the failure to listen or to speak up about what was wrong. But every mended friendship or marriage, every reconciliation, and social healing comes from a willingness to do the often unpleasant work of talking and listening to others who are estranged from us. And this takes great humility.
Very shortly, we will act this out as a parable, literally washing each other’s feet in warm water and Epsom salts. The feeling of that warm water on our feet can be quite pleasant - even if the ritual itself can seem kind of weird. But the real work of which it is a figure often is not pleasant at all. Like the scrubbing of blistered feet and scraping away of dead skin, it can seem more painful than just leaving it alone. But it MUST NOT be left alone. It has to be done or things will only get worse. And it’s not just an occasional act - like bathing once a month whether we need it or not - but something we must do every day to keep ourselves and our relationships alive.
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. -- Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”
As daunting as all this might seem, Jesus has empowered us with an example of holy humility, of self-giving love, love that lays down its life for the beloved. It is this kind of love alone that can revive what otherwise would die. The gift Jesus gives us in this act of love is the gift of healing. In his love, we can restore each other. We can bind up one another’s wounds. Just as he did, we can take relationships that were torn to pieces and bring them back to life, stronger than before. With this gift, we are empowered to carry out the Church’s mission – our mission - “to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.” May we use this gift well and may we use it often. Let it be so. AMEN.
Rev. Deacon Clay Berkley - Maundy Thursday - April 18, 2019
St. David of Wales Episcopal Church - Elkhart, Indiana
