Writing About Spiritual Practices - Footwashing

I wasn’t sure if I should speak.  Everyone else walked to the Convention Center with their eyes to the ground, carrying their Bibles, basins, and towels, without saying a word to anyone else.  I didn’t want to interfere with the sobriety of the occasion, so I kept quiet too, and followed the crowd.  I had five counseling sessions in preparation for my baptism a few days prior to this event, but no one really prepared me for this night.  This would be the first foot washing service I ever participated in, and I didn’t want to mess it up. 

I was paired with an older White woman, and I was so nervous.  I was an 18-year-old girl from an all Black neighborhood in Brooklyn attending college in East Texas.  Even though we attended the same church, I couldn’t help but wonder how the woman felt about washing a young brown girl’s feet.  I wasn’t even sure whether or not I should make eye contact with her.  I took a chance and looked and her, and her smile and kind eyes put me at ease.  The water was so cold, and I wasn’t entirely sure how long I should spend washing her feet.  She must’ve sensed that this was my first time, so without saying a word, she took the lead, and this experience ended up being one of the most powerful and memorable times in my life. 

I later learned that perfect execution of the foot washing ritual wasn’t the most important thing.  It didn’t matter how adept I was at maintaining a quiet disposition during the ceremony, or whether or not I was able to keep myself from giggling while my sister-in-Christ washed my feet.  The important thing was to focus on being of service to another believer, and to allow that person to do the same for me.  In John 13: 1-16, Jesus surprised His disciples by washing their feet.  This was typically something that a servant would do, which explains Peter’s strong reaction to having his feet washed by Jesus.  Here, the humility that Jesus shows by washing the disciples exemplifies the true qualities of a Servant-Leader. 

Considering that I had such a positive experience with foot washing, I have approached several of my Christian friends, and even church leaders to gauge their interest in establishing a similar practice.  Very few people were interested, and that surprised me.  Some commented that we don’t live in a society where our feet get dirty from wearing sandals on dusty roads, so it was no longer necessary.  Some said that they just don’t like touching other people’s feet while others expressed that they’re too ticklish to engage in something like that. There is an intimacy that's missing from the Christian church today, and it saddens me.

Although the foot washing example that Jesus set is not compulsory for modern Christians, it’s important that we explore as many ways to pattern our behavior after that of our Savior, even if it means stepping out of our comfort zone a little. We may be pleasantly surprised by the impact it has on our relationships with fellow believers, especially considering that the world will know that we are His disciples by the love we have for one another.
- April 1, 2009
 Reflecting back on this experience, I wonder how I can include spiritual practices in my novel?