"Sister, please come sit at the front. I'll wash your feet." On April 17, 2025, Maundy Thursday of Holy Week, a humble ceremony—also known as the foot-washing ritual—was being held in a church in central China.
A brother knelt on his right knee, with his left leg supporting him, as he cradled the foot of another seated brother and placed it into a basin of water. Gently scooping up water with his hands, he washed the foot while praying. A white towel draped over his left shoulder, he carefully rested the brother's foot on his knee, dried it, and slowly put on a sock. The person performing this act of service was none other than the officiant who had just led the worship service.
On the other side of the aisle, Pastor Duan was washing the feet of a young sister, sighing as he did so, "Thank the Lord for giving us such a wonderful sister, with feet that tirelessly carry the gospel."
The preachers and church workers brought out the basins they had prepared in advance, each lined with a plastic bag. After each believer's feet were washed, the water, towel, and socks were replaced.
From the back rows, those having their feet washed included a gray-haired woman in a red dress, a young professional in a suit, a serious-looking man in a dress shirt, and even someone wearing an SF City Express uniform... Some were completely at ease, while others appeared a bit shy. When a young preacher who looked to be under 30, led an auntie over to have her feet washed, she leaned close to the young sister's ear and whispered her thanks.
"I'm just so grateful, so moved," said the brother who had just had his feet washed by Pastor Lin. He had only attended church for the first time the previous Sunday.
His mother had been a Christian, and their home had long served as a gathering place for worship, yet he had never believed. It wasn't until his mother passed away and he himself recently fell critically ill that, after the prayers of others, he miraculously recovered. "If only I had believed sooner... We should thank Jesus," he said softly. For this reason, he deliberately chose to attend this church, named "Thanksgiving," to attend the service, even though there was a larger church not far from his home.
"I think this ritual is very meaningful. It's like we are one family, united together, very close," he said.
Pastor Lin emphasized that the act of preachers washing the feet of believers is meant to help them truly experience the humble spirit of Christ, how the greater serves the lesser. Here, believers do not wash the feet of preachers, because the best way for believers to "wash the feet" of preachers is "to support their work in daily service, and to love and tolerate our preachers."
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Oliver Zuo
