In today’s Gospel, Jesus has come to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, his friend recently raised from the dead. Martha serves the meal. Mary uses expensive fragrance to anoint Jesus’ feet, and then wipes his feet with her hair.
Take a moment to visualize this scene, to
be in this scene. Martha and Lazarus, wondering and watching their sister
Mary.
Jesus, perhaps surprised as he watches as
Mary comes towards him and sit at his feet.
Mary, who takes this valuable perfume and
anoints Jesus’ feet, lavishly pouring the oil. People are watching,
amazed, incredulous as the fragrance fills them. And with everyone
already focused on them and their interaction, Mary dries Jesus’ feet with her
hair.
And then there’s Judas – incensed at the
apparent waste. Mary
should have sold that precious oil, and given the money to the poor.
This is one of the stories about Mary and
Martha, two women who have become the archetype of two different personalities
or dispositions. Martha makes the meal, Mary sits at Jesus’ feet.
In the Gospel of Luke, Martha goes so far as to complain to Jesus about all her work, and all Mary’s non-work. And although John
omits this part of the interaction between Martha, Mary and Jesus, you can
still get a sense of the dynamic between Mary and Martha.
I must admit that I’ve always had a
special place in my heart for Martha, the worker bee - who busies herself with
action. Maybe because I’ve always felt more like Martha than Mary.
Maybe because I never really understood Mary. But I’m slowly working on
my Mary-ness. And it all started in the basement of the Seattle Center, about 5
years ago.
For the five years before we moved from
Seattle, I served as the VP of United Way. While there, I had the honor
of overseeing a service event for people experiencing homelessness, similar to
the “Project Homeless Connect” organized by United Way here. It was
a one-day event for people experiencing homelessness where they could get legal
assistance, state id cards, voice mail boxes, shelter and other benefit
information, as well as services like portrait photos and hair cuts.
Because United Way could find no other
organization eager to do it, I volunteered to organize a foot washing, at their
request. This was not the ceremonial washing we do at church, but probably more
like the original – washing the dirt and tired off the feet of weary
travelers. I got the supplies, secured the volunteers and oversaw the
day. The event was in the basement of the Seattle Center exhibition hall.
I had 8 foot washing stations in a little alcove near the
bathrooms, 16 folding chairs in pairs of two facing each other, with a soaking
bin between them, loads of towels, and bags of donated new socks. Eight
parishioners agreed to work for 6 hours that day, washing the feet of Seattle’s
homeless. None of us knew what we were getting ourselves into. I’d also
extended an invitation to the Bishops, who’d planned on attending.
So there we were. Tentatively
setting up amongst the food and health care providers, with our pink hospital
soaking bins and towels. The first people came in and took off their socks
& shoes. Most of the socks we threw away. The air was full of
emotions - nervous, embarrassed, intimate. There was bustle and all
of our senses were piqued.
To begin with, it was awkward and
nervous. But once the people put their tired, cold feet in the warm soapy
water, the barriers melted and we shared stories. After the first awkward 3
minutes we were companions. The people we saw had first names, and stories and
children. After their feet soaked for as long as they wanted, they’d put their
feet on the toweled lap of the washer to be dried. Some even got a lotion,
powder or a little foot rub.
Mid-day, I was out talking to the interested
onlookers. A gentleman stood in the hallway, extremely nervous and shy, but
clearly interested in what we were doing. Fernando was about 55 years old, from
Mexico, and didn't speak much English. He was a handsome, proud
looking man, who looked like he’d seen a lot of life. Reluctantly he sat down
and started to take off his socks and shoes. About that time, Bp. Nedi Rivera
flew in the room from another meeting, rolled up her sleeves and asked how she
could help. I asked if she would sit opposite Fernando, since she was the only
one in the bunch who had any Spanish speaking skills.
Fernando was now even more nervous, with
this Spanish-speaking woman with a collar on, sitting opposite him. But
soon they were talking in hushed Spanish. In the midst of the bustle, they were
having the most intimate exchange – at least from what we all saw. She talked
with him like he was the most important thing in the world. We all saw
that, and their interaction became central, in the midst of all of that
bustle. Soon, she was on the floor at his feet, both of them weeping. She
leaned up and dried his eyes. By now there was a palpable presence in the
alcove. She sat with him for a long time. She dried his feet with her
towel, and when she’d finished drying his feet, she bent over and kissed his
feet.
On that day, I saw the power and grace of
Mary’s actions, or more appropriately, the companionship she was able to offer
in the absence of actions.
During the time Bp. Nedi really sat with
Fernando, they were both blessed. They shared a very intimate
moment. She was present – really present with him. In that brief
exchange, she shared his life, shared his burdens during those few moments of
companionship. She was Mary at his feet.
She served as a powerful model of how to
really be present, and the impact she had on Fernando and all of the volunteers
was lasting.
The day was a success in part because of
the industrious and efficient volunteers, the people with tired feet, and those
who donated supplies. I was very efficient and kept things running very
smoothly. I was in a Martha moment. And because I was so busy doing
things, I didn’t experience any blessed shared moments, similar to the one
shared by Bp. Nedi & Fernando. Because of the story they truly
shared they were both blessed. She sat with him. She blessed him
with her intentional focus. She created space.
Mary’s gift was more than the
perfume. It was her intentional attention on Jesus that created space –
space that was filled with grace.
After the Seattle event, the Seattle Times
ran a story about the day, the people helped and the volunteers. They talked to
many of the providers, including our group and the story was a great recap of
wide array of events that took place and the people touched that day.
The public responded with comments to the
story. While they didn’t use the term “denari”, as Judas did, many
readers wrote in response to the article that the money and time we spent on foot
washing should have been spent for things “the homeless” really needed –
food, shelter, health care. They claimed what we did was wasteful and not
helpful. Having been there, I know this to be untrue.
As a result of Bp. Nedi’s actions, and the
comments from the Seattle Times, I began to understand Mary, to understand
Jesus’ comment, “You will not always have me”. Mary was present with
Jesus. She shared an extremely intimate moment, without regard for the
hustle and bustle. Without regard for what the others would think.
She became a part of a shared narrative, a story that only she and Jesus
shared, because she was present and attentive, and served as a companion to him.
Next week, we begin Holy Week. Between
Palm Sunday and Easter, we have the opportunity to be a companion with Jesus
and with each other. By doing that, we become a part of the story, of
creating the space for a grace-filled moment. We are blessed.
On Maundy Thursday, we will again
commemorate Jesus’ servant ministry by washing each other’s feet. I think
we approach that foot washing something like Paul in today’s Epistle.
He’s going on about how great he was. Member of the people of Israel,
tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, persecutor of the church. Blameless.
He was much bigger, better, and above all that church stuff. Like Paul
saw himself and the church, I think we see the foot washing as something that’s
too awkward, too silly, too contrived, something we don’t need. Something
we’re above. But Paul goes on to say that he counts all that pretense as
a loss, because of Christ, because of knowing Christ. I know it’s
awkward. I know it’s uncomfortable. But I also know that Jesus did
this for his disciples. And when you share that intimate moment, either
as the washer or the person washed, you are creating space for a grace filled
moment.
I encourage you to be a companion to
someone, to be really present, and to someone’s Mary. Practice with each
other, serving each other and being served by others. Join in, stand up and
get your feet washed.
You will share an unbelievable, wordless
sacred moment. And God’s grace will fill the space between you.
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