Washing feet at a church gathering is a political act
The ritual washing of feet in the way of Jesus witnesses to an alternative social order.
Next week I’ll have my feet washed. And I’ll wash someone’s feet.
The Ekklesia Project will gather to explore the theme of The Church As Politics, addressing issues such as “the rise of nationalism and the ascendance of populist figures, the widespread employment of racial and ethnic fears and grievances, attacks on governmental, judicial, journalistic, and scientific institutions, and the increasing vulnerability of migrants, refugees, and all displaced people.”
I’m writing the liturgies for our three worship services and I have landed us in lament. We will surface in speech and song—as many of the psalms do–grief, rage, doubt, and despair. Wherever we may find hope in our time together—in worship, in the plenary sessions, in table conversations—I don’t want us to rush to it too quickly. It’s hard for people of privilege to sit with discomfort, to feel bereft of solutions, to resist the impulse to fix something (or someone).
