there's a little dirt between my toes

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

this scripture stuns me in many ways. the night before he dies Christ gives this commandment. right before he made this commandment, he was serving his disciples by washing their dirty feet, a task usually performed by the lowest servant or, if you are an honored guest, by the host. it was not performed by the honored guest! but he does it; he showed them the full extent of his love. he gets on his knees, removes their sandals, wipes their feet clean with a towel around his waist. he washes all of their feet including judas, who jesus already knows will betray him. and still he extends his love for judas.

i am watching many people i care about focused on a desire to be loved, desire to be sought, a desire for relationship, a desire to be wanted. so many wanting friendship, wanting companionship. but how will it happen if we all sit on our hands and wait for others to come to us? i do this too. i want to be liked, to be needed, to be called. but it won't happen with my hands tied behind my back! and sometimes, it takes more than one phone call, more than one time sitting down with a coffee. sometimes it takes a good foot washin'.

neal and i had a funny incident a couple of weeks ago. i decided to pack him a lunch to take to work. and while i was doing that, he was getting a lunch for me. when i arrived at his house, we handed each other our lunches, both surprised by the simultaneous gesture. can you imagine if we were all washing each others feet, serving each other as Christ's example, not for our own reward? we might indeed be known by our love rather than what we are known for.