I’ve gotten into the habit of walking these warmer, spring days – when distance permits. If I’m able, I will toss on my comfy (but not really attractive) sandals, and instead of grabbing my car keys I’ll grab a carry bag. And off I go. I’m blessed with the physical capacity to walk, and sufficient energy to do so. I’ve noticed a few things about walking though.
Firstly, I feel better. I can definitely use with a bit more exercise in my life, and this is one way I can get it.
Secondly, I’m chatting with more of my neighbours – even a quick hello in passing is more of a personal connection with folks than I would have had, should I have taken my car.
Thirdly, my feet are getting dirty faster. We have dust and dirt on our roads, and every day when I come home I discover I’ve brought a bunch of it in with me. However, this is not the end of the world – a quick minute with water and a towel and I feel refreshed. And less stinky. Especially before I’m eating – who needs THAT smell before a meal?!
So today, my walk-about was to pick up a few things at the grocery store. No really, just a few things – I had discovered – much to my dismay – that this morning I had run out of 2 of my ‘essential’ foodstuffs – milk, and apples. And I realised as I was in the store – the same local store we often complain about for it’s diminuitive size – and I realised that there was a veritable banquet laid out on the shelves before me. Fresh fruit and vegetables that have been shipped from literally all around the world, locally baked breads and bread goods, more milk products than all of us combined should be consuming in a week, and then the not-so-healthy-but-often-oh-so-tasty pre-packaged stuff… I skipped the junk food aisle altogether – I know my weaknesses!
So there was the banquet laid out in front of me and the other shoppers.
I behaved – I only picked up my milk, my apples, and some tempting seeds for this summer’s garden. But I recognised that, had I wanted to, had I not been walking home, I could have stocked my pantry and fridge with all sorts of nourishing delights. Of course, I was also aware that my pantry and fridge are already home to a number of nourishment delights; I think that helped curb my spending as well.
But what struck me was what I was hearing from some of my fellow shoppers – things that I have heard said before – sometimes from my own lips. “I don’t want to pay THAT much just for fresh fruit.” “There’s not enough variety.” “This isn’t the brand that I want.” Et c., et c.
The food we eat may not be as elegant as we think we deserve, but we are still eating it. And that is truly a blessing, in a world where nearly half the population is undernourished or starving. How often do we complain about the cost of a special diet – lower fat, diabetic-friendly, organic – when there are some who would delight in the scraps we dump in the compost bin.
Our food is not the problem. Our mindsets are.
Instead of celebrating what is before us, we tend to live our lives focusing on what we don’t have, on what we want. This mindset continues throughout our spiritual lives. We are living in a theology of scarcity. And yet, we are not a people suffering physical deprivation – we have a roof overhead, food on our plates, clothing on our bodies, and chances are that we have money either in our pockets or in a bank – or both. And should we not be so profoundly blessed with these necessities, we live in a culture that will help us to have these basic needs met. So too, we do not suffer from a lack of spiritual nourishment; though I think our mindsets sometimes prevent us from receiving it.
And so I think we are called, especially at this time of year, to shift our way of thinking. I think Jesus is calling for us, as his followers, to change ourselves and thereby change the world around us. I think the gospel story tonight is inviting us to turn social convention and societal mindsets on their heads.
Jesus, recognised as the great leader, takes the role of a servant and washes his followers’ feet. Feet that have been walking for a long distance, that are dusty and smelly and normally only ministered to by the lowest of the servants. And yet here the teacher teaches those who would follow him by example. He changes this dirty and demeaning act into a role of care and compassion and humble ministry.
Jesus then sits with his friends for a traditional Passover Meal. The Passover, where the Jewish people commemorate the Exodus story and their liberation from Egyptian oppression. The Passover celebrates not a theology of scarcity, but one of sufficiency. The 12 are invited to see, and so are we in the telling and re-telling of their story, that there is enough. There always has been enough. God has made creation good with enough for all – if only we would see it, believe it, and act accordingly in all of our choices. Throughout history people fall into their theology of scarcity, and we are called time and again, to remember that there is enough for all when we don’t take too much for ourselves.
And then the change comes – the turning things upside down. At the end of the meal, Jesus makes a few simple statements that shift the disciples’ thinking yet again. We now refer to this as the institution of the Lord’s supper, or the communion, the Eucharist. And it is done in thanks – the word Eucharist itself means ‘the great thanksgiving’ and comes from the Greek. Now the traditional Seder, or Passover meal, includes a literal breaking of bread and sharing of wine. But the anamnesis - Jesus’ words over the bread and wine asking his followers to do this in remembrance of him - and the instruction that this communion is to be shared with many – these things change the tradition. Jesus is now confirming his place as leader not just to the few who were gathered together, but for everyone who would gather together in God’s name for the rest of eternity.
And so the mindset changes – this is no longer a night of historical celebration of faith, a Passover for Jesus and the 12. This is a mindset of hospitality, of opening the doors and sharing the resources with the world for all ages. This open table is a radical idea to the disciples, as it can be a radical idea to us today. But it is what we are called to do – to share the profound gifts that God has given us, recognising that the love of neighbour and the love of God are intertwined.
This mindset connecting love of God with love of neighbour challenges us to live out Christ’s mandate – from which we get the mediaeval word ‘Maundy’ – to love one another as He first loved us. This is not a suggestion, this is not an option. We don’t get to choose how or when or who we will love – we are instructed to love everyone just as Christ does. And so again, a turning upside down of the norm – no longer are Jesus’ followers to view people as worthy or unworthy, in or out, but as equally beloved and deserving. Not easy to do in a world that is ready to crucify it’s Lord – not ready in a world that would, to this day, express hatred first.
And so, we are invited to consider our own mindsets. To consider our own understanding of what I means to be leaders – as hierarchical beings or as servants to one another? To consider our own understanding of what it means to be fed in a spiritual sense – as starving beings, as people who have just enough, or as people with such an abundance that they cannot help but to share?
I pray that your mindset will be one of Hope – true hope in the risen Christ. And that everything that you do, from this day forward, will be one of joyful celebration. May we all be so rooted in our faith that we see that we have been given food for our journey; may we recognise the abundant life that has been given for all – in love.
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