by Cheryl DePaolo
Ground Zero A fireman appears out of the rubble, covered with ash and grime. The Salvation Army women
remove his dirty boots, strip off his wet socks, wash and powder his feet, put on clean socks, help him put his
boots back on, and send him back to search in the rubble, having been touched by the love of Jesus Christ in
this most humble and practical way.
I'm sure many of you immediately thought of our Lord washing the feet of the disciples. I was struck by this
thought: that the God of the Universe who transcends all time and space knew that some 2000 years later
these events would take place, and these servants of God would be washing feet at Ground Zero. Wow!
How awesome that God would give us this picture knowing that we were born for such a time as this. I was
drawn to the passage in John 13 that describes this act, wanting to imagine Jesus thinking of these modern
events even as he washed the feet of his disciples. However, I found another message from the Father there!
A year or so ago my church felt led to practice foot washing at the end of a Sunday service. It was an
intimate time of fellowship. We delighted in kneeling at the feet of another, pouring the water over the feet of a
brother or a sister and then gently drying them. But look closer at the passage! It is Jesus who washed the feet
of His disciples, and Peter balked at having the Lord wash his feet. If you too have ever participated in foot
washing, you may understand when I say that my friends and I were also much more willing to be the "washer"
than the "washee"! How did Jesus respond to Peter? He stated that if he did not wash Peter's feet, Peter
could not be a part of what He was doing. The passage states "My concern, you understand, is holiness, not
hygiene" (John 13:10 The Message).
Another picture emerges. Imagine the fireman so anxious to save his lost comrades that he does not take the
time to stop, to be fed, to have his feet washed and his eyes rinsed. Very quickly his abilities are diminished,
his strength is gone and he cannot see his way.
Dare we put ourselves in the place of that fireman? How many of us are weary unto despair of searching for
the lost in the rubble? Is our vision dimmed by the attacks of our enemy? Are we choking on the dust of the
world that swirls around us, but reluctant to come away for a moment and let the Lord minister to us? And
even further, to let our brothers and sisters in Christ minister to us? Yet our remedy lies in soaking in the
presence of the Lord, and accepting the ministrations of His servants. He reminds us that if we have had a
bath, we need only wipe off the dust of today to be clean. Then we are fresh for the tasks set before us.
Jesus states "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another?s
feet. I have set you an example, that you should do as I have done for you."(John 13:14-15 NIV). And finally
"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:17).
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