As folks started walking up the aisle to wash feet, the sun started streaming in the west windows of the Chapel, so brightly that their heads started to glow like saints in an ancient manuscript. The sight was ethereal. It was also beautiful and fitting for an evening when, as we pray, eat, sing, and wash, our love for each other is so tangible.
Holy Saturday was the moment when darkness had descended and there was nothing to make you think that everything would be all right. The worst had occurred and nothing would ever be the same. If you have had someone you loved die or you have experienced a great tragedy in your life—then you have a glimpse of how Jesus’ followers must have felt that day.
Several of us think Lent is a time to “give up something” for 40 days, such as giving up sweets for six out of the seven days a week. However, Lent is much more than “giving up something.” It’s a season where we, as Christians, focus on simple living, prayer, and daily devotion to grow closer to God.
Maundy Thursday offers an amazing opportunity to experience a special evening with Jesus. In Christ’s time, foot washing was looked upon as the lowliest of services performed by the lowliest of the house. This Holy day celebrates Jesus’s washing the feet of his disciples while sharing their last supper together.
Today would have been my father’s 86th birthday. My Daddy was many things: a husband, a father, a Papaw, an Auburn tiger, a lover of Walker: Texas Ranger, a scientist, a pilot, a champion for those with disabilities, a lover of biscuits and gravy, a carpenter, and a deeply devout man of God.