大象传媒

Good morning.聽 My next door neighbour runs a business selling plaster casts of babies feet, and it鈥檚 true that there is something utterly charming about tiny feet. But somehow, once that baby morphs into a teenager, the attraction of their feet greatly diminishes. Nobody likes to walk into a changing room or bedroom which smells of unwashed feet!

Today is the Women鈥檚 World Day of Prayer, and it鈥檚 led this year by women in the Bahamas who鈥檝e taken a theme which comes from Jesus鈥� words 鈥淒o you know what I have done to you?鈥� If we trace the quotation to its source in the Gospel of John we find that Jesus is addressing these words to his disciples, and what he鈥檚 done for them is wash their feet. The Son of God, through whom the cosmos was created, and in whom we live and move and have our being, took off his robe, tied a towel round his waist, knelt down and washed each of his disciples鈥� dusty, smelly feet.

To be served in such a way requires humility, not only on the part of the one doing the washing, But also on the part of the one whose feet are dirty, because it鈥檚 a confession that he or she isn鈥檛 perfect.聽

These words of Jesus, 鈥淒o you know what I have done to you?鈥� come ringing down through the ages to us this Lent, through the voices of our sisters in the Bahamas. They invite us to acknowledge that we鈥檙e not perfect, and that we must accept what Jesus has done for us if we wish to be made clean.

Lord Jesus Christ, we would like to be self-sufficient, independent people. Forgive us for our arrogance and pride, and give us the humility to recognise that sometimes we need to accept help.聽 Thank you for all who give up their lives to serve others.聽 Help us always to be ready to tie a towel round our own waists and to get on with the task of serving others with a joyful and willing heart.聽 Amen.