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Loving with Feet and Fungi

6th Sunday of Easter

There was a story in the microbiology journal mSystems a few years back that revealed a surprising way to identify the people we love. No questionnaires, pictures, or words are necessary. To tell who you love all the scientists need is a swab of our toes. Once cultured, those wavy lines in a petri dish reveal a unique community of microbes that make their home on the skin and nails of your feet. These are not the problematic fungi that lead to the embarrassed placement of a tube of Lamasil on the drug store checkout counter. These small creatures are as innocent a part of your body as any of your native cells and some of them even contribute to the healthy functioning of our feet. And it turns out that those with whom we share life tend to share the same microbial community–you pick up some of theirs and they yours and eventually you have the same microscopic zoo on the soles of your feet.

I was struck by this story as I reflected on our Gospel for this Sunday. It comes in the Gospel of John, shortly after Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, and it continues the new commandment to love that we celebrated on Maundy Thursday. READ MORE