A bowl of water and a towel
A bowl of water and a towel
became a sign of grace
when Christ, the Lord, the Teacher, took
the lowest servant's place:
his work of power and parable
could only be complete
when he had knelt before his friends
and washed their grimy feet.
What scandalous humility!
Our hearts recoil in dread:
should we not kneel to worship him?
Can he serve us instead?
Yet answered by his firm rebuke
our protest quickly ends -
unless we let him wash our feet
we cannot be his friends!
And still, across the centuries,
he presses home his claim:
that we who know the things he did
must learn to do the same;
for we have felt love's gracious touch
far more than we deserve!
and with it, heard love's highest prize:
the call to go and serve.
Martin E Leckebusch (b.1962)
© Martin E Leckebusch, admin. The Jubilate Group
8 6 8 6 D (DCM)