Trinity Parish Church - Maundy Thursday - March 20, 2008

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

The Rev. Rachel Endicott

[Sweater on*]

Life is always a bit strange as we lead up to presidential elections.  The sway of the political commentators starts to catch hold with almost everyone.  Even those of us who eschew television can't escape without hearing about the candidates on radio, reading commentary in the newspaper, and just generally hearing about it as those around us comment or question or rant.

And myriad questions are asked about any candidate.  What is his or her voting record in the past?  Has the candidate lived up to promises made in earlier positions?  Does the candidate have the knowledge to live into the requirements of being president?  As an aside, how some geographically-challenged presidents have ever been elected is amazing to me!  Is the candidate truly concerned about the state of the country?  And so forth...

Basically, it strikes me that according to the potential voters concerns and interests, the primary question is how can this candidate best facilitate positive change by using the power of the presidential seat in the political process of this country.  But I've got to admit, it's a hard job.  You have rich and poor, you have large corporations and those who have no political power, and you have a variety of advisors - paid and unpaid - all of whom give differing points of view.

Stranger still is coming to this day in our church cycle, Maundy Thursday.  We come to remember Jesus and his ministry, his way of changing the world.  And it is a different way than any politician could ever imagine...

Jesus comes and washes feet.  He takes on the role of a slave or a woman and sluices off the dust and grime off the disciples' feet.  He uses precious minutes prior to his untimely death washing, rinsing and toweling, rather than making "big plans."  He spends one-on-one time with each of the disciples, using this an example of the way in which they are to treat others, the way that they will change the world.

Jesus' image of changing the world isn't one of overt political change.  It isn't one of military power, something we might want to note on this 5^th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War.  Jesus' way of changing the world isn't even one of education-based change.  Jesus' image of changing the world is one of caring for the other, washing, wiping, set in the context of love.  That's - in fact - how Jesus points out that others will know that those gathered are his disciples, by their loving actions.

Now I'm given to believe that those early disciples and those who followed them did indeed follow Jesus' exhortation to love one another.  We know that the early church grew exponentially over the first few centuries.  Even as an oft-persecuted group of people, they told others...one-on-one they whispered, shouted, told the good news that the Messiah had come, that they were loved so completely.

And they didn't rely on the machinations of politics or power.  In fact, they were often at odds with the powers that be.  But that didn't stop them.  They came together to pray.  They came together to eat.  And they came together to worship.  And they came together to care for one another, to feed the widows and the orphans, to care for one another.

Now, many centuries later, I'm wondering about us.  We read in John that Jesus loved his disciples to the end.  Then we are told the story of the washing of the feet and the message about the new commandment to love one another.  What would the follow-up in our own obituary be if prefaced by, "And she loved them to the end." Or "And he loved them to the end"?  What would come after that statement for us...what would the example be?  How would we follow Jesus' example, that one-on-one example?

By coincidence or not, today is "Sweater Day"*, the day that would have been the iconic Mr. Rogers' 80^th birthday if he were still alive.  Although he touched thousands through television, he did it basically one on one.  He invited each individual viewer into his life of caring and kindness.  He treated each guest on his show with welcome and compassion.  He even invited the parents of the children who watched his show into a caring, personal relationship not only with their children, but with the values he promoted, values gleaned from his faith and background as a Presbyterian minister.  I believe he did follow Jesus' admonition and example to love them to the end.

So back to the question of how we might show our love for one another, on that one-on-one model?  Thinking of Biblical models of feeding, hospitality and washing prompts me to think of some ways.

-         If you're a cook, what about sharing your bounty?  What about giving food to those to whom you're acquainted who might use some?  College students, single parents, widows or widowers, and so on.  In our society, we're prompted to think about sharing our food at Christmas and perhaps Thanksgiving, but my guess is on nice summer days or on the odd blustery February day, we might not think about it.  I was incredibly blessed when my son Benjamin was born and members of my congregation brought loads of food to my home, a fabulous gift and display of love as I had no family close by, Ben's father had caught a bug on the way back from the hospital, and I was trying to take the crash course in how to be a mother.  On a grander scale, I think about the movie Babette's Feast and how love and thanks is shown to the whole village by the feast prepared.

-         If you're comfortable with young people, what about becoming a reading buddy or adult partner through your local library, school or other organization?

-         If you hold a compassionate place for the elderly, what about regularly visiting a nursing facility or adult family home near to you?  Did you know that the statistics about nursing home residents are dire - if I remember correctly, the average number of visits per year for a nursing home resident is three...that's per year.

And I'm sure that there other ways that you might follow Jesus' model of compassionate one-on-one love...

So, as Jesus' prepares for the long walk to the cross, and we prepare to share in this journey, I leave you with Jesus' own words, "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

[Sweater off*]