Silly Shoes on Sensible Feet
Dan Harper
September 30, 2021
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John 15: 1-5 (NRSVA)
1 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
Shoes are a good and helpful thing, and we have different shoes for different occasions. Shoes that we wear to work, slippers for slipping around the house, and maybe an old pair of trainers for doing the garden. Not all shoes need to be sensible, however there can come a point where things go too far.
In London in the mid 1400s there were a group of Lords whose shoes were so silly that King Edward IV decided to do something about it. The shoes in question were long and pointed, tapering to a point some 5 inches beyond the toe. These shoes were “crakows” or “poulaines” and were banned in a law made in 1463 that outlawed shoes that were two inches beyond the toe (see an example on wikimedia here).
The shoes were trimmed to what was good, useful and less ridiculous. In our reading Jesus tells us about the trimming of the vine, the removing of what is dead and not good. Allowing the good to thrive.
As we remain in Christ, and let go of what is not merciful and just, we will grow into the fulness of life.
PRAYER:
God,
As we wiggle our toes and feel the ground under our feet,
Remind us of the need to prune in life,
As we pull on our socks of compassion and shoes of hope,
Ready to spread your love in the world.
Amen.
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