Glorious God,
There was a time –
centuries ago –
when the Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood.
The Word was called “Jesus”
and his birth was heralded by angels and animals alike.
Just a few decades later,
the world had too much of the Word
and its topsy-turvy, the-last-shall-be-first ways.
It was then that Jesus was persecuted
for being too equitable,
too countercultural,
too loving.
So then, one night, after dinner with his disciples,
Jesus donned an apron and put water in a basin.
Having loved his friends,
he continued to love,
tenderly washing feet —
even as death drew devastatingly near.
But God,
you know —
they weren’t just his friends.
They were also his betrayers.
The ones whose dusty feet Jesus made clean
were the ones who would let him down
again
and again.
Those events –
that story –
seem so distant from our reality.
So today, O God,
we recall that Jesus set an example, that we are called to do as he did:
love as we have been loved.
Love.
Before the cross comes into view,
today let us love.
Let us celebrate love.
Let us love with abandon.
Let us love even those who let us down.
Let us experience and express holy,
no-holds-barred,
messy, imperfect
Love.
In the name of Love itself.
Amen.
