To Be Completely Clean

Is something that I'll never experience.  But I try to stay as hygienic as possible without completely destroying all the awesome colonies of helpful bacteria living all over my body to support it's balance, heath and veracity. 

But this post has absolutely nothing to do with that.  It's about the ceremony of foot washing.  My first foot washing occurred when I was in youth group.  I can't quite remember all the context, except for the fact that it happened.  Trauma much?  First, let me say this, if your youth pastor wants to wash the youth groups feet, maybe put a stop to that.  You can opt out.  This is my opinion, but that type of ceremony in youth group is uncalled for and should never happen.  Looking back...yeah, it's creepy and maybe (probably) what you think it is.  Or maybe the youth pastor was just delusional, thinking it was a good idea and completely oblivious to personal space or fetishes.  It probably happened to them and they thought it was normal to clean the feet of teenage boys and girls. 

And that was it.  Foot washing never made much of an appearance in my life after that.  In fact, I rarely wash my own feet.  Who does?  All that soapy water and the toe wiggles leave them nearly clean.  Although, sometimes I do get down there between my toes and find it quite enj......continuing on. 

Recently I was at a wedding and the bride and groom were going to be doing a foot-washing ceremony.  It caught me totally off guard and I wanted to immediately make jokes about it.  Perhaps because that's how I sometimes deal with uncomfortable situations or when I don't want to say what really needs or should be said.  More on that later.  

But while the foot washing ceremony was taking place, I found myself moved by it.  Think about it for a minute.  How many of you would do that with your spouse, in front of a large gathering of friends and family who may or may not know that you'd do something like that? My guess is probably not many of you by choice.  You might just say you would but you won't actually do it simply because the situation may not ever likely to present itself to you.  

Why was I so moved by this?  Think about what that represents.  First, I would much rather wash someones feet than have my own washed.  My feet aren't necessarily something that needs cleaned by someone else.  Especially my crooked toes and decrepit big toe nail that's half missing.  So not only is it challenging to clean another's feet, it's also challenging to allow them to also clean yours. 

Most people are familiar with Jesus washing the disciples feet at the last supper or having his feet washed by a prostitute.  I'm not theology major, but I have friends that are.  And I'm sure they'd love to dive into that if you so choose. 

Let's let alone the symbolic nature of how allowing someone access to your feet to clean them can display a common trust, an openness to oneself, and remove any other vulnerability between the two of you for a minute.  And let's talk about what made feet washing so important back in the time of Jesus.  If I were to guess, I'd say that not many wore any type of footwear and if they did it was likely some sort of huarache sandal. There wasn't any plumbing.  Livestock likely roamed freely.  There was dirt and disgustingness everywhere that ended up on your feet.  

I will say this though.  Having once spent nearly two years completely barefoot, only wearing huarache sandals on minimal occasions, or socks in the snow, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that there is nothing dirty in nature.  It's all made by humans.  Parking lots and sidewalks are absolutely filthy.  Did you ever think we might be the bad bacteria on this planet? 

We still think feet are dirty. Except for a couple of you anyway.  But why are they dirty now?  Because they are cooped up in a sweaty box all day.  I'll bet your feet and shoes are ripe with bacteria and not always the good kind.  Have you smelled them?  But honestly, I bet most peoples feet are fine.  So why would so many resist this ceremony if offered it to them, even with a loved one?  What part are you resisting?  The washing of another's feet or having someone wash yours?  I think there may be a deeper meaning to whichever answer you have.  

But back to the wedding.  It was two people doing one of the most vulnerable things you can do for the other.  You are basically saying I'm giving you everything.  All of it.  The good and the bad, the clean and the unclean.  We will share all of out lives and all of our secrets. There is NOTHING that we can't clean between the two of us.  And I accept every part of you.  

In fact, it shouldn't be weird. It should at least not be weird between two people who love and care about each other.  That being said, I don't know that I could do it right now.  And I bet I'm not alone.  There are things we carry with ourselves that maybe we don't want to address.  Even though this ceremony is only a symbol, it's a very powerful one.  And I'm glad that this one could rewrite the history I had of ceremonial foot-washing
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