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The week leading up to Holy Week this year was… well, hard. I’m in the middle of facilitating a couple of messy conversations right now that sometimes don’t feel particularly “redeemable”. And if you’ve read any of my stuff, you know how much I like everything to be “redeemable”! There was a moment last Wednesday when I thought I might pull out every last strand of hair on my head. I called a colleague who happens to be bald and who reminded me that hair is a good thing and that I should try to keep mine. He talked me into a better place simply by reminding me I was not alone and that messiness is part of the work of mediation. None of us have all the answers. Indeed, maybe right now there aren’t any. But we keep leaning in.
The conversation led me to a different sort of place from which to approach the story of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet. It’s a story that we’ve all probably heard a thousand times. I’ve used it so often in ministry courses and graduation commissionings. It is, of course, the Gospel that inaugurates Triduum every year. But this year, reading the words over and over in light of recent weeks, in light of where we are in history, it continues to speak to me even more deeply. You can hear my reflections on the passage for Triduum 2021 here. (See entry for April 1, 2021)
A special shout out to MAPS-CGS Cohort of 2011. It’s been ten years now since you all became a chavruta together and I still remember the foot washing we did on the day before graduation. That day holds a special place in my heart.