I love my sneakers!

I love how the laces cinch in my big feet to help them appear slender and stylish with the tongue popping up to show-off the “All Star” tab for all to see. Plus there is a special way to lace up my sneakers … it’s like an initiation rite into “THE” sneakers club! I mean … they even have Youtube videos on how to lace my sneakers – cool right!?!

The deep rubber soles become more comfortable over time. My sneakers take my feet anywhere I want to go, and don’t get stuck in sidewalk cracks or penetrate into the earth when walking on grass. Best of all they cover up my ugly feet!

But the canvas sides eventually wears out and my feet begin to poke through, especially my pinky toe, exposing some gnarly callouses and other foot scars.

My sneakers remind me of Jesus!

They remind me how He humbled himself to wash His disciples’ feet and set an example for how they are to treat one another. Jesus said: “You should do as I have done to you.” Then he goes on to tell them that no one is greater than their master or the one who sends them. He says all of this, while he is stooping down, like a servant, to wash their feet. Then he tells them that if they know ‘these things’ they will be blessed if they do them!

What things Jesus? What things can bless them/us in the doing of them? The obvious answer is to ‘do things’ with a proper spirit of humility. That can include such things as cleaning the washrooms at church, helping with the children’s ministry, and volunteering at the local food bank.

But just before this “foot washing” scene the disciples were arguing among themselves about who was the greatest. They were flirting with pride, envy, competition, and other worldly ways.

In their thoughts of greatness Jesus disciples were flirting with pride, envy, competition, and other worldly ways. Share on X

Was Jesus trying to reveal a deeper meaning to “these things?”

One day I realized that the disciples feet were soiled and calloused from walking in the world. As they walked along they were picking up the ways and practices in the world, then covering them up with comfortable shoes.

Then it came to me … an A-ha moment: My favourite sneakers represent the ‘pretty or cool’ covering that I put over myself to let everyone know that everything is okay. They were hiding my stained, calloused, and scarred feet… the prideful, envious, and competitive attitudes that so easily attach to me.

But even more so, I thought about how often I point out someone else’s stained feet when their pretty shoes are wearing out. When their worldly ways poked through the bright canvas covering.

Maybe Jesus is trying to reveal that we need to stoop down with lovingkindness and truth, and help one another remove our sneakers to have a holy pedicure!

At the last supper Jesus shows His disciples how to give one another a holy pedicure! A posture of lovingkindness and truth ... void of pride, envy, and competitiveness. It is kingdom All Star training! Share on X

Every time I put on my sneakers I see Jesus, my Lord and God, stooping down before me washing my feet. Then I remember what he said; “I’ve given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you … If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

That’s how you become an All Star in the Kingdom of God!