There is a famous quote about unknown unknowns that came from the mouth of United States Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld in a news briefing on February 12, 2002. He was being questioned about the lack of evidence linking the government of Iraq and Saddam Hussein with the supply of weapons of mass destruction. This is what he said to justify what soon became the start of the Iraq War.
Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult ones. (Donald Rumsfeld, 2002. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_are_unknown_unknowns#:~:text=Rumsfeld%20had%20previously%20publicly%20used,work%20must%20consider%20them%20all.%22)
Rumsfeld took lots of heat and mockery for this quote, because it sounds so convoluted. It was also revealed later that there were no weapons of mass destruction and a huge war had been intentionally and falsely justified that could have been avoided. This had been a form of propaganda and there certainly was politics involved in why he said what he said. I can’t help but ponder if a similar thing is happening right now with speculation about Iran being so close to producing nuclear weapons, just months after being told they were all obliterated, and using that to justify starting a war that is enflaming the whole of the Middle East, and where there is no clear justification or end goal. Where this all ends now is a complete unknown, and we should keep aware to current propaganda and how language is being used and manipulated.
Back to the Rumsfeld quote, if you stop long enough to look at the actual words used, there is some wisdom here. There certainly are known knows – the facts out there that can be observed and confirmed. Life that is straightforward. There are also known unknowns, a recognition and naming of the many things we observe in life but admit that we don’t understand and know. We can usually live with not really understanding how electricity works, or the unpredictability of our favourite sports teams or how in the world we end up falling in love. We just know that’s how it works and accept it. But if we are honest, there are also unknown unknowns, not as crazy as it sounds – but that things can happen that are totally unexpected or unforeseeable. We have no basis to anticipate them. They cannot be anticipated based on past experience or investigation. These are the things or events that happen in life that can completely through us off – and bring us to a place of dissonance. Rumsfeld was using this as a form of Risk Management, but it just might have something to do with life and the times in life that catch us by total surprise. It recognizes the limits of our humanity and of our knowing. Life will surprise us. Unknown things will happen.
As humans, we love to know things. It helps us be in control, to be confident, to know what is likely to happen next. Maybe even more, we long to be known. To be known is to be understood, to be treasured, to be loved. When someone truly knows you, there are no longer secrets or speculation. You don’t hide who you are. You are honest and vulnerable and real. We say this, recognizing that sometimes we don’t even know all the mysteries of our own being, or why we do what we do. We carry our own inner unknowns.
It is with this lens of known and unknown, that I read the two stories from the Gospel of John this week. We don’t usually read these stories together – we either have one or the other, and probably hear the John 13 footwashing passage more often. But John puts them so close to each other, right in the next chapter, that perhaps there is wisdom and new knowing that can arise when we read these two stories in parallel. The two stories can speak to each other. They are both stories about Jesus and about feet, and they both invite their characters to dwell in dissonance, to be surprised by the unexpected, the unknown. There are so many parallels in these two stories! We had fun at the Bible study on Wednesday night reading and comparing these two stories. We also heard Janet share last week about some of the newest Biblical research by Elizabeth Schrader Polczer that points to the possibility that the Mary in the gospel of John is really Mary Magdalene, and that in the previous story of Lazarus and two sisters, Martha and Mary may have originally just been Mary, and the first to have this powerful confession of faith about Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, who has come into the world.’ Mary keeps appearing at all the significant points in the story – Lazarus, anointing Jesus, at the tomb and as the first witness to the resurrection. Mary too is an example of discipleship. We need to pay attention to today’s story of anointing Jesus’ feet. We need to hear and give equal weight to the story of Jesus with Mary and the story of Jesus with Peter and disciples – to hear them together.
These are parallel stories that we can compare to each other. At the Bible study we looked at the basic structure of both stories, and listed all the parallels, the things that felt similar in each story, while also noticing some of the contrasts. Both stories happen a few days apart around the festival of the Passover, and both involve a meal together with loved ones, with people who are known and beloved. In the first story, Jesus comes to the home of Lazarus, not many days or weeks after he has been raised by Jesus from the dead, the story we heard last Sunday. Mary and Martha are there, as are the disciples. There is an intimacy here and a dinner to celebrate. And yet there is also the tension of impending doom – with threats and plots to kill Jesus and to kill Lazarus, with a real fear and sense of the unknown to come. A few days later, still just before the Passover, it is Jesus gathered for a meal with just his disciples, his closest circle. Jesus is full of love, ‘having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.’ The tension has only increased, with the triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a surprise donkey, and with Jesus speaking openly about his death. They don’t know yet that this will be their last supper together.
And then in each story, we suddenly get a surprise action, an interruption, an unknown unknown, an event that brings the people in the room into dissonance. In the first story, it is the extravagant action of Mary pouring a pound of costly perfume – nard on the feet of Jesus, and wiping them with her hair, as the Anabaptist Community Bible translates – an extraordinary amount. A woman should not be doing this. As one person at the Bible study said, her actions make me feel uncomfortable/squeamish – like a voyeur – its so out there and unexpected – and so intimate – it involves the body – the feet, the ugly and smelliest parts of our bodies. Judas strongly objects – the money could have been sold and given to the poor, which he probably doesn’t really care about. We often focus on Judas in this story and his objections and potential motives. But if we focus on Mary, we see how she has disturbed the expected social status – turned it upside down – and modelled a different way to relate as followers of Jesus, claiming her own part in this community, claiming agency, that she too is a disciple, and that relationships, being seen and known, are more important than money, than remaining proper. We also see Jesus affirming her actions. She tells Judas to leave her alone. He also names how the oil is already connected to his burial – and that it is Mary who gets it, who knows where this story is going. It makes me wonder if this outrageous, extravagant, loving action of Mary is what gives Jesus strength for his journey to come, and allows him to now wash the rest of the disciples’ feet in the next big scene. As one person said on Wednesday, his cup was filled, and now he can pour out love to his disciples.
In the John 13 story, the surprise action, the interruption, the unknown unknown that could never have been predicted, the dissonance, is caused by Jesus, the rabbi, the leader, the esteemed one, getting up from the table, pouring water into a basin, and beginning to wash the feet of his disciples, the ones who should have been washing his feet. Again, an intimate, bodily action involving dirty feet. We imagined a scene of absolute silence… until it gets to Peter, who is the one in this second story who objects, who can’t comprehend what is happening here, who doesn’t get it, whose feeling of dissonance builds up inside until he burst out. ‘Are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus has also turned expected social status upside down, and is modelling a different way to relate as leaders and followers – a model of service and being known and loved. ‘Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.‘ ‘Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head.’ Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of footwashing, what it does to master-servant relationships, and how this is an example of what discipleship looks like, what it means to follow Jesus. It is the same message we heard in the anointing story with Mary.
There are so many parallels in these two stories – they speak to each other. This following of Jesus will be vulnerable, dangerous, unpredictable and bring us into the unknown, it will upend and equalize social status, and lead us to wash feet and have our feet washed, to anoint and be anointed. It is bound to change us.
This morning we will be invited into the rituals of both anointing and footwashing/handwashing. These are very physical and bodily rituals, just as we saw in these two stories. They are vulnerable and intimate and communal. They are steeped in meaning. They bring us into the unknown, but also bring us into a place where we are known and loved. And they bring us into the story of Jesus, the story of Mary, and Peter, Judas, the disciples, the story of God in our world, turning things upside down. Amen.
Instructions for Anointing and Footwashing/Handwashing
This morning we are invited into the ritual of anointing with oil, and the ritual of footwashing/handwashing. You may choose to take part in both, or one of them, or none of them.
Just as Jesus was first anointed by Mary in the home of Lazarus, before washing the disciple’s feet, we will first offer you anointing. Us three pastors will be standing at the front of the three middle aisles. Anyone is invited to come forward and receive the sign of the cross with oil – either on your forehead or your hand – simply indicate which one. If you do not want the oil, you can also cross your arms to receive a blessing. All of you will hear the words spoken to you: ‘You are known and loved as a beloved child of God.’ Youmay return to your seat at that point, or move on to either one of the footwashing or handwashing stations.
There are 3 footwashing stations up front – by the piano for females, on the opposite side for males and one for all genders in the middle. There are also 3 hand washing stations up front (point) – one being on the stage. You are invited, if you wish, to come to the station of your choice, in groups of about 8-10. Children are most welcome. Coming forward is optional. All of us are called by God to serve, but we each choose if participating in footwashing or handwashing is the symbolic way we want to respond and represent that. We will also serve each other in a circle clockwise, one person washing the next person, who washes the next, rather than in pairs. There are several basins going at the same time around the circle at each footwashing station. When you are done washing feet or hands, please return to your seats.
Jesus invites us now to enter into the unknown, but also to be known and loved. Please come forward as you are ready.