Barnabas Letters, part 4

Greetings, Barnabas Ladies! You are all looking so lovely today! :D

This morning I was standing in my very grubby bathroom, taking off my very grubby toenail polish, and I was thinking about what I was going to say to you all in my email today. My thoughts and actions crossed each other, and I thought about what it would be like for one of my Christian sisters to give me a pedicure. Whether or not you've had a professional pedicure, I'm sure you're familiar with the basic procedure: the nail tech removes any old polish, you soak your feet in warm, scented water, then your toenails are clipped, all the crusty skin is removed, your feet and calves are massaged, and fresh nail polish is applied.

 Now, I am relatively attentive to the condition of my feet, but it dawned on me that I would be terribly embarrassed for one of you to perform this service for me. Sometimes my feet are a little smelly, I have a scar on my big toe from where I had warts removed (twice!), and there is sock fuzz under my toenails.

 Then I felt a little ashamed, because I remembered John 13:1-17 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+13%3A1-17&version=NIV). In this passage, Jesus washes the disciples' feet. Peter is a little irritated (and I think, embarrassed), and doesn't want to allow Jesus, his Teacher and Lord, to wash his dirty feet. But Jesus tells him that if he doesn't wash him, Peter will have no part of him. He goes on to tell them all that he has given them an example, that they should do this for each other, and that no servant is greater than his master.

 Based on the fact that foot washing is not mentioned as an act of the early church, I don't believe that Jesus intended that we must wash each others' feet as worship. But he did intend that we serve each other, and that the servant should not be ashamed of the "lowly" duty he performs, nor should the one being served be ashamed that he needs something done for him.

How many times have we resisted coming forward during the invitation because we are too embarrassed for others to know about all our calluses? What are we saying when we are too ashamed to admit to our fellow Christians that we have dirt under our toenails? Do we REALLY think we are the only one in the church with smelly toes?

When God made you a member of his body, through your obedience to his gospel, he provided you with siblings who will share your struggles, who will help you "scrape off the barnacles" (as our preacher would say!), and who will spend time in prayer, both with and for you. Please don't allow your shame to prevent others from spending a little time washing your feet.

 In Christ Alone--
Elena