We Share One Life, We Are One Life
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*... Lago Bow. Blow Lake, Alberta, Fernando, Srosh Awar, Flickr
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In the East one posture of worship is in Sanskrit pāda-sevana, "service at the feet." In the East often the feet have been considered a terminal of spiritual energy, of grace. Beyond any such ideas, to bow at the feet signifies and actualizes humbleness, surrender, and commitment to that bowed to. In major faith traditions, such bodily acts have been important in public and private worship.
This adoring, humble surrender is seen in the Christian Gospels. For example, in Matthew 28.8-9, women find Jesus' tomb empty and run quickly away to find the disciples and share about the resurrection. On the way they meet Jesus, "'Greetings!' he said. Then, they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped him." In Luke 7.37 we read of a certain woman of ill repute going to see Jesus, when he was visiting in a nearby home. She had a jar filled with costly perfume: "Then, she knelt behind him and at his feet weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. She continued kissing his feet and putting perfume on them."
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A Reading on Service at the Feet
I kneel
I bow
I place my hands, palms up, side by side, upon the floor
This is Sacred Ground for me
My body a consecrated sacrifice to God, My Love,
I place my forehead into the open hands
I rest here, silently,
In adoration
In surrender
In humbleness
Speechless
In Love, I am
Staying here
Prostrated, I begin
To feel the meaning of this bowing in deepening affection
I sense a connection to my ancestors who bowed in this way
I anticipate all who will come after me and bow in this same way
I remain here, for a time, forgetting all else but the Presence
I let this prostrated body say all that needs to be said, for now
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We are each a lovely, pure Rose, in the Garden of Grace.
The Sacred in Me bows to the Sacred in You
BRIAN .
