In the gospel of John, when the story is told about the last night Jesus spent with his disciples, there is one very small verse that follows the account of Jesus washing the disciples feet. It reads:
One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him. (John 13:23)
Though this “beloved disciple” is mentioned more than once in the gospel, he is never identified by name. Tradition has held that it was John the Evangelist, the one who writes this gospel story. And tradition has also held that because he reclined next to Jesus at that last supper, he rested his head on his teacher's breast and he heard the very heartbeat of God.
The call of this night, this time of remembrance and our own breaking of the bread, sharing of the cup, and kneeling before one another as we wash feet, is to listen ourselves for the heartbeat of God. It can be heard, moment to moment, if we choose to listen for it in love.
Jesus asked his friends to keep breaking bread together and keep washing feet in remembrance of him not so that they could try to preserve that last night together, but so that they might continue to listen for the beating heart of God's love in and through their lives.
May we hear this beating heart of God as the story of this week unfolds and, even more, as we listen our way into our lives.
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