13 8 by Mark Maier

The title is based on the Biblical verse:"No," said Peter, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."John 13:8 (NIV)This is an example of how pride can overtake our whole being, causing division within aspects of personal lives and on a social level, both national and global scale. Pride only serves itself with disregard to serving others. Pride is an attitude that one thinks they have the capability within themselves to deal with life's struggles and has no need for outside source. Because what holds us back causes division both socially (that which is external) and spiritually (that which is internal) if we choose to live life alone. Everyone struggles. What one has struggled with may help what another is struggling with. Humbling ourselves allows us to extend ourselves to our high powers to seek serenity and healing on a spiritual level. Humbling ourselves permits us to reach out to others so we may find encouragement and recovery on a social level. Humbling ourselves also allows recovery on a psychological and emotional. That's not to say that humbling our self spiritually and humbling our self humanly don't intersect.There is hope amid dark times. To humble ourselves and to humble our self does not mean we have to agree on what others do in their lives. Each of us struggle differently. Each of us heals differently. But we may learn how to heal differently on an individual level if we learn how others heal on a collective level. It is harder to go the road alone, to heal based on one's own understanding, because what worked before may not work now - and having others who know us on an individual basis may help reveal a new way to heal and grow and eventually blossom into a new being. Love one another. Love your neighbors. Though there is difficulty to love others when you are not able to love yourself. Just to say "I need you" may be love enough to start.