Maundy Thursday 2020
The reading from the Gospel of John is the traditional one of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples at their last meal together and him giving the disciples the greatest commandment, to love one another. When I was in school one of the reading techniques I learned, which is always helpful when I am reading a passage to preach on, is to look at the strong verbs in a passage. The ones which command action and move the story forward. In this gospel passage the strong verbs are wash, serve, glorify, love. I find these verbs very appropriate for where we are in the world right now. We are all washing a little bit more often and a little bit more diligently right now than we might have otherwise. We probably don't all find joy in the continual prospect of washing, and our hands might all be turning a little more dry and red, but it is helping all of us stay safer. Brother Lawrence, a monk i...