By Kochurani Abraham
Kottayam, April 8, 2020: Amid the unbridled spread of the COVID 19 pandemic when people across the globe stand startled before its developments and devastating consequences, we are into a Holy Week, commemorating the core mysteries of Christian life.
Perhaps for the first time in the history of the Church, a Maundy Thursday passes without the foot washing ritual, conducted traditionally in our churches, re-enacting the biblical narrative of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples before the Last Supper.
Even though we have a Holy Week this year without cult and ritualistic celebrations, it could equally be a time of grace if we delve deeper into the profound meaning of the Christ event and draw its implications for our lives in the context of the calamity triggered by the coronavirus in today’s world.
On many occasions during his public ministry, Jesus gave shock treatments to the people around him through his words and deeds. One such event that shocked his disciples or rather scandalized them was at the last supper when he removed his outer garment and began to wash his disciple’s feet.
When Peter, the leader of the group, resisted this gesture of Jesus, the master washing his feet, Jesus responded firmly “If I do not wash you, you have no part in me” (John 13: 8). In this response of Jesus to Peter, I hear a call, which offers a redeeming challenge before this crisis that we encounter today.
It is being increasingly acknowledged that we humans are responsible for this catastrophe, because of our hierarchical positioning as ‘masters’ of this universe and the consequent exploitation of the earth and its creatures. Where greed gets translated into unrestrained abuse of vulnerable sections of humanity and of nature, in the long run, it tilts the human- ecological balance leading to the eruption of destructive forces.
We have failed to pay heed to the warning signals ensuing from the acute climate change and the threat of a nuclear war and today, human ‘lordship’ and mastery over creation is radically challenged by the spread of a minute yet potent virus.
In this situation, what do we learn from Jesus subversive act of washing his disciple’s feet? What challenge does he pose before us in saying “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”( Jn 13: 15). What does this speak to us in the face of a pandemic that is shaking the very foundations of the ‘secure’ establishments on which we humans have built our lives?
Even amid the threat of death, Covid-19 pandemic is a wakeup call challenging us of our identity construction as ‘homo hierarchicus’ or the hierarchical humans. It challenges us to return to a lived experience of inter-connectedness and re-discover our status as inter-beings in this great web of life.
It awakens us to be like Jesus, to remove our ‘protective’ and alienating garments and ‘to wash one another’s feet’ in a spirit of interdependence. In doing so, we will be enabled to reach out to those who are most afflicted by this crisis because we know they too are part of us and we can embrace the earth and its creatures tenderly with the words “you are part of me.”