foot-washing

The local schools broke up today.

So this was the last of the daily assemblies along at the Royal High. The first years this morning.

It being the Thursday of Holy Week, and also the last day of term, I took the chance to speak a bit about how Jesus filled the last day of his earthly life.

Washing the feet of his friends. That sort of thing. The dirty jobs that no one wants to do. And then, in God's kind providence, I had a 'coup de grace'.

I'd noticed it yesterday also, when up on the stage in the hall. Someone had left a rotten old banana skin on the back of the central chair. Not that anyone sits on it much, I think. But the thing was there. Another day on. And still it remained unmoved.

So I used that as a simple illustration. The banana skins in life. All that dirty rubbish which is 'not my job' to move. The things we're always leaving in the hope that someone else will actually do it in the end.

When most times they don't. Because they, too, want to leave it for someone else.

So I picked it up with an audible 'yuck!' and explained that it's what Jesus did. And does. Removes the moral rubbish from our lives.

He made this 'foot-washing' ministry the hallmark of his life. It is, in fact, a lifestyle, I suppose. Doing the things that others will not do. Refusing to adopt the line that just because "it's not my job" I will not lift a hand to see it done.

My day had a certain symmetry. Since I ended the day with a service at night along at the local episcopal church. Where part of the worship involves this act of washing others' feet.

It was like my day was 'topped and tailed' with remembrance of Jesus' act. As if the Lord reminded me that from morning 'til night, through all the day, it's thus we're meant to live.

It's often in the little things. I've tried to remember that. Thinking ahead to what people are going to need. All the little courtesies. All the little tasks that must be done.

Removing the rubbish. Cleaning the dishes. Getting the tea. Taking peelings from the kitchen to the compost bin outside. Things like that. Hardly things you'd really want to 'blog' about.

Little things.

Strange how a God who's so infinite, massive and strong, should nonetheless be always so concerned for 'little things'. Re-assuring, too. And comforting.

Because most of my days are mostly comprised of ... well, little things.

And today's been mainly the same. A hundred and one little tasks needing done in the space that today has afforded me.

Catch-up tasks, since the last few days I haven't really had the time for them at all. Letters to be written. Services of worship to be thought through and prepared. E-mails to be sent on this and that. People to be seen about a range of little things.

Clearing away the clutter in life. Removing the dirt. Banana skins and all the other rubbish that we leave behind in life.

Washing feet is a way of life. The way.