To Peck's Memorial United Methodist Church, Maryville, Tennessee USA

They gathered
In an upper room
To share a Passover meal,
Men who had already shared
So very much,
And who, soon,
Would share in the horror
And the terror
Of religious persecution
Taken to the extreme.
They had been led
To this moment
By a man who preached
Of love and loving
For all humankind,
But who held no illusions
About the reality
Of his own fate,
And who,
Knowing his own time
Would soon be at hand,
Sought to complete
The education of his followers
By making an example
Of himself.
He broke the bread,
Saying "This is my body,"
He offered the wine,
Saying "This is my blood,"
And He told them to partake
In remembrance;
Then,
Their teacher,
Their friend,
The man they knew to be
The very Son of God,
Knelt before them,
One by one,
Removed their worn sandals,
And washed their feet
Of the accumulated grime
Of hundreds of miles.
He then instructed them
To do the same
For all they encountered,
Enemy and friend,
For through their loving humility
They would exemplify
All He had taught them,
And thus through their actions
Continue to spread his message
Of a kind and just God.
Then He left them
To face the night,
His fate
And His fears, alone,
In a garden.

c. 2013