July-Aug., 1976, Neve Shalom, Israel
On that evening before his Departure,
the holder of the secret of Life
bent low his head
in the last private moment
among his friends
to pour into their own hearts
one perfect Son's joy and sorrow
on being called to his Father.
Removing those garments
which distinguished him
from his companions at the table,
this personification of our souls'
deepest prayer
proceeded with towel and basin
To exemplify, as he had exemplified
so often unnoticed,
the attitude of the beloved Son
of a loving Father.
For by his example alone could he in silence
exhort his brothers to love
the One in Whom
we live and move and have our being.
Yet who had eyes to see?
Who can hear the simple message
of the gentle hand caressing
the dust-laden foot?
Did Abraham recognize his stranger-guests
when he washed them
and fed them
and gave them to drink?
One would doubt for the rest,
it takes but one,
and the doors of the heart
are closed straight away.
And to him who would doubt
did our beloved say:
“Without understanding this
you can have no part of Me.
“This – this is the holy sacrament!
Why did I tell you to discard
your swords, your pens
and your books
which deny men their Life?
“For the same reason that I would
not defend Myself.
Nor allow you to defend Me.
O Father, Father,“
he breathed a deep sigh
and then continued,
“How shall I liken this generation?
Will no one let his feet
respond to the melody
which the Father pipes through Me?
“Who will take up the tune and follow Me?
Is there no one among you
who can see what is being done?
“This night is the balancing point
between the worlds:
are you with Me now in this
last hour?
“Verily, the feet are the key
to Understanding and to Wisdom.
And Wisdom is born out of the bond
of Knowledge with Compassion.
Therefore be ye diligent -
and watch what I do.“
The hand was not separate from the foot
nor the water separate from the breath
of this Yeshuah,
this our Friend who taught us
the meaning of Friendship
with his Life.
Wherewith our Teacher
took and washed our feet
giving special care to each companion
as though they were the feet of his Father.
When he finished washing our feet,
he rose, ever so slowly
and evensofar as we his brethren
felt new life in our limbs
and in our hearts,
his own seemed now to carry
a massive load.
And in a moment his eyes
were once again clear and penetrating,
his voice softer yet commanding:
“Who receiveth any in My Name receiveth Me
and so doing receiveth My Father.
Who receiveth a prophet,
to him shall be a prophet's reward.
“You ask, Where is Grace,
when will we see the God of our fathers?
“Verily, wherever ye stand,
whomever ye face,
whatever may appear to happen,
know this to be the Grace,
which reveals itself to you even now
if your hearts are ready to see:
“That in My Father's sight,
the last shall be made first
and the first made last.
“As only the Father can love
have I loved you;
henceforth take ye up
and follow in My Way,
and become the Truth,
that Life may be yours.“
He looked at each of us
directly and coherently,
regarding each person
as though according to his station,
and then shared further his secret:
“Witness, each one of you, as you partake,
and know that you partake, if you would,
of a broken heart.
“Be not saddened nor confused,
for I will bear this sorrow Myself, willingly,
that you may learn wherefore
its nature and its source.
“I am with you, I am with you,
therefore be glad of spirit.
This wine I pass amongst you
as the flowing water which poureth forth
from the broken heart.“
Raising his hands as though
in benediction, he fairly shouted,
“See, see, and be transformed!“
And for that moment, in the midst
of such overwhelming silence,
certain ones among us nearly conceived
of the magnitude of the Love
which this single being embodied.
He joined us all hand in hand
and said:
“Wretched limbs
have you always amongst you -
take care of them;
those in poverty always are with you -
feed them;
“But truly, I send you out
as healers of broken hearts
from all walks of life,
as now I break Mine in order
to prepare you
for what is to come.
Go out and mend all hearts
in remembrance of Me.
“Do you think that I am come
to bring condolence for one another's beliefs?
“I tell you, I am not come
to bring condolence but a healing scalpel
to put an end to the suffering
caused by so many beliefs.
Not by placating, but by understanding
the nature of beliefs
can you be free.
“A knot tied in a moment may take a lifetime to undo,
but know what is in your sight
and all that is hidden
will be revealed unto you.
“Begin, therefore, at the Moment,
as I have shown.
For the feet shall prepare the way
to the Heart,
and at the feet doth the way begin.
“The way hath been shown;
the hour is come,
and the cock croweth, O it croweth -
Who shall be prepared to answer
in My Name?“
And at the end of that sacred communion
we sang the closing hymn
and wept as lovers do before parting.
Then sitting awhile in deep contemplation
we listened as our beloved Friend
gave his final blessing to us.
And rising before those who stayed with him
he whispered,
“The hour is come.“
JUBILATE!
(For about two solid years until the point of this writing, I had been known for going about - on campus, on the streets, in parks, and finally there at Neve Shalom, with water basin and towel, with almond oil in hand, washing the feet of anyone, literally anyone, who accepted the offer. It was my own way of internalising what I had gotten out of the Gospel of John. This poem developed and evolved directly out of inspiration drawn from that Gospel and the Secret Gospel of Thomas, the teaching of Murshid Samuel Lewis, and working with the 112 Breath Sutras given by Lord Shiva. Upon finishing it, about 1 a.m. in August of '76 and crawling into my sleeping bag in the middle of a field, nearing the end of our “Jerusalem Camp,“ I received a rather profound dream instructing me what to do with the world Muslim community, and feel challenged to this day as to how to bring that to fruition. The poem was published in the April '77 issue of "Sonflowers," put out by the Holy Order of MANS.)
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