After the Last Supper, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, leaving behind him a paradigm of service. On Thursday last week, Stella Matutina Girls’ High School in Taichung also performed the rite of foot washing, during which Principal Chu Nan-tzu and a dozen teachers washed some students’ feet.
Chu said that the feet are the lowliest part of the body and the one that most easily gets dirty. Both washing other people’s feet and letting others wash yours take considerable courage. Just as it may be difficult for a person to bow down and kneel to wash someone else’s feet, the person receiving the service may also be worried about his own smell, the ugliness of his feet, itches, athlete’s foot and so on. It is a challenge for both the service provider and the receiver. Hence people can learn through the foot-washing service that providing a service is a humble job that requires extraordinary benevolence and love. A person who provides service with love will not think about his identity or his own needs and rights, but only the needs of others.
During the foot-washing ritual, most students felt embarrassed to have their feet washed by their teachers. The teachers washed the students’ feet attentively with clean water and then dried them. Some teachers considerately asked the students whether the water temperature was comfortable for them or encouraged them to study diligently.
Photo: Su Meng-chuan, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報蘇孟娟
Chen Chun-chin, president of the students’ union, received the foot-washing service from Chu and then provided the same service to her classmates. Chen said that, in comparison, washing other people’s feet was easier than letting others wash hers. Washing others’ feet was pure giving, whereas letting others wash hers had a lot to do with receiving. Initially, she felt very awkward about letting the principal wash her feet, since, after all, the principal is an elder as well as head of the school. However, when she saw the principal kneeling down before her, washing her feet and rubbing them, she felt embarrassed yet also enchanted. She really felt from the bottom of her heart that she wanted to emulate her teachers’ act of bowing down and serving with humility.
(Liberty Times, translated by Ethan Zhan)
耶穌在最後晚餐後為門徒洗腳，留下服務的典範，台中曉明女中上週四也辦「洗腳禮」，由校長朱南子等十餘名師長親自替學生洗腳。
朱南子說，腳是最卑微、最易弄髒的部位，不論為人洗腳或被洗腳，都需要有很大的勇氣。彎下腰、俯下身，為人洗腳，固然不易，被洗腳的人也會擔心自己腳臭、腳醜、腳癢、有香港腳等。對雙方來說，都非常不容易。因此，希望藉著洗腳禮，體會到服務是謙虛的，是需要極大的善意與愛。在愛中的服務，不會考慮自己的身份、自己的需要、自己的權利，只想到對方的需要。
洗腳禮進行時，多數學生面對師長幫洗腳都顯得靦腆。老師們則細心地幫學生用清水洗滌腳部，再仔細擦乾，有的老師還貼心地詢問學生水溫等舒適度，或是不忘勉勵學生好好加油。
自治會長陳淳蓁接受校長朱南子洗腳後幫同學洗腳。她說，兩者相較，幫人洗腳遠比接受別人洗腳容易。幫助別人只是純粹的付出，但被別人洗腳則承受較多。原本她對於是否接受校長洗腳一事十分糾結，畢竟校長是長輩又是一校之長，然而看到校長蹲在自己眼前，幫自己洗腳又擦腳的過程，感覺既不好意思卻又很奇妙，真的有從心底冒出要學習師長彎下腰、謙卑服務的想法。
〔自由時報記者蘇孟娟／台中報導〕
Step into any corner of Turkiye, and you’ll likely encounter the iconic “Evil Eye,” known as “nazar boncu?u” in Turkish. This striking blue glass ornament is shaped like an eye with concentric circles of dark blue, white, and light blue. While its name in English suggests something threatening, it’s actually a charm designed to ward off misfortune. The origins of the nazar boncu?u can be traced back to ancient Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions. The word nazar comes from Arabic, meaning “gaze,” while boncu?u translates to “bead” in Turkish. Central to the nazar boncu?u’s mythology is the idea that
A: Wow, Les Miserables Staged Concert Spectacular is visiting Taiwan for the first time. B: Isn’t Les Miserables often praised as one of the world’s four greatest musicals? A: Yup. Its concert is touring Taipei from tonight to July 6, and Kaohsiung between July 10 and 27. B: The English version of the French musical, based on writer Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, has been a huge success throughout the four decades since its debut in 1985. A: The musical has never toured Taiwan, but going to the concert sounds like fun, too. A: 哇，音樂劇《悲慘世界》紀念版音樂會首度來台巡演！ B: 《悲慘世界》……它不是常被譽為全球四大名劇之一嗎？ A: 對啊音樂會將從今晚到7月6日在台北演出，從7月10日到27日在高雄演出。 B: 這部法文音樂劇的英文版，改編自維克多雨果的同名小說，自1985年首演以來，在過去40年造成轟動。 A:
Some 400 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, the “International Space Station” (ISS) operates as both a home and office for astronauts living and working in space. Astronauts typically stay aboard the station for up to six months and engage in groundbreaking research projects in various fields, such as biology, physics and astronomy. These projects help scientists understand life in space and contribute to advancements that benefit people on Earth. The ISS has experienced significant growth since construction began in 1998. The station’s design and assembly represent an extraordinary international collaboration among Canada, the European Union, Japan, Russia and the United States.
A: While hit musical Les Miserables’ concert tour kicks off, South Korean drama Squid Game 3 will be back at the end of this month. B: New Taiwanese dramas The World Between Us 2 and Zero Day Attack have also gained attention. A: I heard that Zero Day Attack is a story about the Chinese Communist Party’s People’s Liberation Army trying to attack Taiwan by force. B: The drama’s subject is so sensitive that it has sparked a lot of controversy in society. A: I just hope that such a horrible story will never happen in
RSS