Pastors washed the feet of immigrants on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to call attention to immigration issues in the United States.
Two United Church of Christ ministers washed the feet of an asylum-seeker and a “Dreamer” on the Capitol lawn, HuffPost reported. They were part of a group of 22 pastors who are in the District to protest a proposed increase in funding for detention and deportation and border militarization.
{mosads}The Christian tradition of foot-washing was intended to acknowledge the journey migrants have traveled to get to the country, Rev. Justo Gonzalez II, one of two pastors who washed the immigrants’ feet, told HuffPost.
Gonzalez compared the migrants’ travel to Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem in the Bible.
“Jesus’s parents crossed borders and didn’t have papers or permission, but they needed to protect their child and their lives, and they did what they needed to do,” Gonzalez said. “This was a godly act, and we honor that, not only for Jesus and his parents, but also for the faces of Jesus, Mary and Joseph that we see in our immigrant siblings.”
The act of washing feet in Christianity reflects the biblical story when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet during the Last Supper.
The religious leaders will reportedly speak with 40 lawmakers about immigration policy, specifically to protest policies that separate families. They brought letters and children’s drawings from their congregations as part of their efforts.
The United Church of Christ announced itself as an “immigrant welcoming church” in 2017, HuffPost noted.
— This report was updated at 11:46 a.m.