Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Holy Ground

One of the things I have always wondered about is the short little passage when Moses meets God at the burning bush, and God tells him to take off his shoes for he is standing on holy ground. My question has always been, why don't we take off our shoes in the presence of the holy? Why is it no longer important?

This thought came to me again this year on Maundy Thursday when I was standing with my bare feet on the cold floor of the cathedral waiting to have my feet washed by the bishop at our annual celebration. I was in line for awhile as there are a lot of clergy, and I thought of standing on holy ground in my bare feet. I don't think it was the cathedral floor especially so much as being a part of a community of clergy who were gathering in love of God and each other, and who would that night wash the feet of the various communities of which we are a part. I loved the image of us getting our feet washed and going to wash the feet of others and providing them a place to wash each others feet as a sign of service and love. That I thought must be the holy ground upon which I was standing.

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