Ritual of Cleansing and Asking for Forgiveness Through Actions of Service to Others
In this stream drawing mediation, I could not help but see an image that reminded me of a very powerful story I grew up with, in the New Testament (John 13: 1-20), that of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. Rooted in the act of ritual cleansing (mikvah) practiced in Judaism and historically by the priestly in Torah, who were instructed to wash hands and feet before entering the Holy of Holies. The immersion in water, (“the kohen hagadol immersed in the mikvah”) a form of ritual purity as a gesture essential in demonstrating respect and honor before God. The act of ritual purity in John becomes a symbolic gesture, a sign of the highest service to fellow humans, a great act of humility, think about it— actually washing the feet of another (who ever in reality does this?) demonstrating “the first shall be last”–as Christian theologians often reflect upon Jesus as Messiah–the “Most High”, and yet he washes the feet of the servants, the most low. This is to say it is the ultimate act of love to be in the highest position in society and serve those forced into the lowest position in our society. In Judaism, the most important of all values toward humanity, the highest form of demonstrating true love for humanity, is to be just and merciful, to fight to lift people out of the lowest position of society. I thought of our current times, the George Floyd Movement triggering a cathartic and divine timing event of humongous importance in the soul of our nation, and a chance for real change after centuries of anguish, intolerance, discrimination and assassination against a race. It isn’t enough for white people to ask for forgiveness (and we could not expect to be given it) but only through action, serving the other, those who have been oppressed and abused, will we even begin a process of true reform. I thought literally of the protestors marching (weary feet?), taking to the streets, and voicing from the heart that we cannot sustain a world as cruel as that anymore. Can we wash the crimes of centuries away? No–but by caring enough to hear this message and take action, true action(s) may we allow change to arrive and have a world that demonstrates love and equality? Through humility of the highest order, literally serving the other, those (as it is written, “least amongst us”–those brought low by societal structures and attitudes, kept in economic distress, under fed, under cared for systemically) may we turn this culture around and wash away the ills that inflict a people, for far too long. We are at a time to truly “come clean” to each other–to admit where we disastrously went (and go) wrong, and to stand before one another and God and get it right, for once.
