Learning love from stinky feet

What happens at the intersection of dirty towels, stinky feet, knives, forks and service?

It’s the presence of Christ, in our midst and in one another, isn’t it?

In chapter 35 of the Rule we see Benedict’s genius. He sees the deep, transformative presence of God in the mundane. As we know, Benedict is nothing if not practical, and we see it all laid out in this chapter. Who should be doing kitchen service, who should be excused, how to make sure all the utensils are accounted for, who needs help, who needs an extra snack, Benedict covers it all. And you know that comes from long years of personal experience with hungry, grumpy, overwhelmed people.

At the same time, Benedict also knows that we do not encounter God only in the chapel, God’s presence in not mediated only in holy rituals done by priests. Benedict reminds us that Christ is present in dirty towels, stinky feet, the people we don’t always like, and during times when we are tired, stressed and hungry.

Benedict also reminds us by making sure we know that Holy Thursday doesn’t just happen once a year, he says it should happen once a week. Once a week, every week, 52 times a year, he is calling people to be Christ, and to be served by Christ. All of us are to be Christ. All of us are to be served as Christ.

On Saturday night, even though everyone is probably hungry and impatient, Benedict says that everyone who is either finishing or starting a week of kitchen service is to wash the feet of everyone in community. And this probably isn’t a nice, ritualized pouring of a little water on feet that have probably never seen dirt and, have the advantage of modern hygiene or regular foot care. This was probably pretty up close and personal. This foot washing was a very humbling service. It was an incarnation of Christ’s service for one another.

So even if we never see one another’s feet, we are still called to wash them and have our own feet washed. We wash one another’s feet in the daily, messy service we offer to one another, the service we offer even when we’re tired, grumpy and hungry. We have our feet washed every single day in the amazing support we receive from others in the community, and from the countless people who supply our needs. Every day Christ comes to us in seen and unseen ways. Every day we have the life-changing opportunity to wash people’s feet. Wow!

And, finally, lest we get too carried away with our holiness, Benedict reminds us to keep it real. Put the kitchen utensils back where they belong so that the next person can find them. Don’t complain about the cooks who are trying hard. Because we find holiness and transformation in messy service, kitchen utensils, and the unexpected presence of Christ in others in the midst of ordinary life.