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| Christ Washing the Feet of the Apostles by Meister des Hausbuches, 1475 |
Today is Maundy Thursday; a day in the church calendar mostly associated with the Last Supper (thank you deVinci Code book and movie) but really is about "mandatum-maundy" or washing some one's feet and, in this instance, the 12 Apostle's feet after dinner.
Although a good idea to do it to oneself, the practice was a common example of hospitality back when sandals or barefoot were the footwear of the day. On greeting a guest, a bowl of water was presented upon entering the abode and the guest himself or a servant washed the dirt off the feet. It was a courtesy and not a matter of subservience unless, of course, you were the servant. In the end, though, it was a master-servant relationship; humility and station in life, foot-messages and creams notwithstanding.
Part of the scriptural dialogues surrounding this had to do with a master turning servant and performing this perhaps lowest of lowly tasks with the admonition that if "I, the master can wash your feet surely you can wash the feet of others".....
Whatever your religious views, practice, beliefs yada yada perhaps the day can be marked with a simple show of humility and thought that there are very few things that one can do "for" another that are beneath dignity or station in life.
Open a door for someone. Let somebody else go ahead of you in line. Smile first. Say please and thank you. Get some humility.