Maundy Thursday 2021
On the Christian calendar today is Maundy Thursday. Maundy is a shortened form of the Latin word mandatum which is usually translated as command. Maundy Thursday is the day that Christians recall the story of Jesus meeting with his disciples for the last shared meal. At that meal he is alleged to have demonstrated what would have been a great act of humility - washing the feet of the disciples. He is also alleged to have said to them “A new commandment I give to you that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you are to love one another.” (John 13:34) (christianity.com)
Humility is one of those interesting terms which we often throw out as if we all understood and practiced it. Meriam Webster defines humility as “freedom from pride or arrogance; the quality or state of being humble.” Some dictionaries define it as a state of low self-regard or even worth. I think of it as the acceptance of our humanness; of the fact that fate or luck determines a lot of the privileges or lack of same which we enjoy; the acceptance that we are not more than it less than; that we are part of the whole and it is only when we work as one that we approximate a peaceful and just community. When I think of humility I think of one of my teachers who, for a time was director of The Challenger Learning Center which would simulate the planning and landing of space flights. This teacher, Nancy Sturm, made it clear that all members of the team were equally important. That was, for me, a metaphor for how all of us need to live our lives; a metaphor for how to build a well-functioning community. When Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, a task normally done by a servant, he was demonstrating that in all ways we are to take care of each other; that no task is above or beneath us. All of us have different talents, but all are equally valuable. The person at the hospital who lovingly empties the bed pan is just as important as the person who performs a delicate surgery.
By sitting down to eat with the disciples who themselves were a rather motley group of men whom most of us would not have picked for very important teaching positions Jesus was, in my mind, saying “We must make a place at the table for everyone.” I am reminded of another teaching of Jesus found in Matthew 20:16 “The last shall be first, and to first last; for many be called, but few chosen.”
Since my background has been shaped by a Christian framework - by the Christian stories - as I was greeting folks this morning via email, text, and Facebook Messenger I attempted to formulate my spiritual intention for the day. My intention for today is be more aware of the extent I believe my self-\ worth is grounded in acceptance of myself and others; is grounded in this commandment of Jesus. To what extent do I invite or exclude some from the table; to what extend do I make my invitation to the table conditional on socially constructed concepts such as race, gender, age, education, profession, appearance, sexual orientation, or status?
Written April 1, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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