Whether you believe or not, you probably recognize that the next few days observe the anniversary of world-changing events. Just about everyone likely to read this knows about Easter (which, despite what you’ve likely heard, isn’t a word based on pagan goddesses but is rather an old English word likely based on the German word for Passover). Just about everybody will know about Good Friday. Maundy Thursday may be less familiar, yet it is key to the narrative.
I grew up in a church that didn’t observe Easter, much less Maundy Thursday. They argued that every Sunday celebrated the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. I respect that position, but I also see the value in observing special days as a point of focus.
One person believes in eating everything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Those who eat must not look down on the ones who don’t, and the ones who don’t eat must not judge the ones who do, because God has accepted them. Who are you to judge someone else’s servants? They stand or fall before their own Lord (and they will stand, because the Lord has the power to make them stand). One person considers some days to be more sacred than others, while another person considers all days to be the same. Each person must have their own convictions. Someone who thinks that a day is sacred, thinks that way for the Lord. Those who eat, eat for the Lord, because they thank God. And those who don’t eat, don’t eat for the Lord, and they thank the Lord too. (Romans 14:2-6, CEB)
Our attitude seems to matter more than the specific practice.
So it is that Maundy Thursday has come to have special signficance to me. It is the day we remember the institution of the Lord’s Supper at the Last Supper (almost universally practiced among Christian churches) and the foot-washing Jesus performed for his disciples (less commonly practiced). The name “Maundy” doesn’t refer to foot-washing per se, but rather to the mandate, the commandment of Jesus:
“I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other.” (John 13:34, CEB)
This comes immediately after Jesus has washed his disciples dirty feet. “Just as I have done, you also must do,” he said (John 13:15), and some have focused on the specific action and treated that as the commandment. But that was just one example of the deeper expectation he commanded in verse 34.
Thanks to the pestilence facing the world right now, we cannot gather together physically. We may not wash each other’s feet. Yet, we can serve each other. We can follow the example of Jesus. We can find ways to love each other.
In fact, one of those ways right now is keeping our distance from each other. I know that people would rather just go about their business, and many suffer under the isolation required to stop the spread of this virus. It is an act of love to maintain that distance so that others may live.
That is how we wash each other’s feet in 2020.
Peace.