“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him… (For this was a time of dirt roads and sandals, and this practice was customarily performed by the ‘lowest’ servant of the house).
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you… Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (Gospel of John)
Chad Mast is a wrecked man. Jesus Christ is primarily to blame for this, though I believe Seth Barnes, Andrew Sheaman, Gary Black, Tom Davis, and some ’06 racers played pretty influential roles as well. He will never be satisfied with the American Dream, or with lukewarm Christian religion.
I first “met” Chad by sporadically following his ’06 World Race blog. I was excited to hear that Chad would be returning to join the B Squad ’07 race as well. I remember thinking that we would have a “secret weapon” of knowledge and experience (jury’s still out on that one… J)! When Chad arrived at Matamoros training, he explained to us that as the B Squad leader, his desire was to lead like Jesus led, by
serving. At the time, I wasn’t sure what that would look like.
Now, we are several weeks into the Race, and I can tell you a little about what it looks like… so far…
– It looks like family. Let me explain: The great thing about the authentic, raw community that we are cultivating is that God takes us makes us into a family. Chad, specifically, has committed to being a brother to each one of us for the next eleven months, and I imagine, the rest of our lives. It’s a commitment to love each of us, even when we’re grumpy, annoying, and for the ladies (heaven forbid), PMS-ing. It’s a commitment to fight for each one of us, to be patient, to put our needs above his own. All of the racers have made this commitment to each other, but it has meant a lot to me to see my leader commit to being a brother to me. Already, Chad has reminded me, personally, that family means shared burdens… shared joys… shared lives.
– It looks like prayer. I know that Chad prays for us regularly. I know that he approaches the Father on our
behalf. This is truly a Jesus-like trait. He also prays over us and speaks words of life into us, building us up. I cannot explain what a blessing it is to have a leader that is a life-giver.
– It looks like Jesus. Now, let’s be clear: Chad Mast is not Jesus. He is not perfect. Sometimes, he’s pretty weird. J But he believes that he can “be Christ” to people, and he lives like he believes it. He, unknowingly I believe, sets an example for the rest of us as to what it looks like to pray with authority, love genuinely, speak wisely, and minister powerfully. His life glorifies the Name of Jesus Christ.
Chad is not the only one who does these things. I am surrounded by amazing brothers and sisters who display these qualities. But this is the story of our leader who “washes our feet.” This is a portrait of a servant.
