At first glance, the word “Maundy” carries a heavy, almost somber weight, the kind that makes you want to hang your head in reflection. But the word’s true roots are far from depressing. It is derived from the Latin mandatum, meaning “mandate” or “commandment.”
On this day, the mandate isn’t to walk around with our eyes fixed on our feet or to live in fear that the world is ending. Instead, Maundy Thursday commemorates a moment of profound intimacy: Christ’s last Passover with his friends. In the middle of that final meal, he gave them a new way to live:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” — John 13:34
This mandate is anything but morose. It is a vibrant, active call to kindness. Like the disciples, we are invited into the work of love—not just for our friends and families, but for our enemies.
Loving an enemy doesn’t mean we have to agree with them or celebrate their choices, but it does mean we refuse to wish them harm or celebrate their misfortunes. It means looking at them through the same lens of grace that Christ uses for us. It means wishing for their healing and their wholeness as much as our own.
Now, let’s be honest: nobody said this mandate is easy. It is far harder than me rooting for Texas, or Luis finding something nice to say about Duke. (And for the record, I’m fairly certain Christ’s mandate has a “basketball exception” for the sake of our sanity!)
But the point remains. As Lent draws to a close and our focus turns toward the cross, we are left with one final, non-negotiable task. Before the world grew dark on Good Friday, Jesus left us with a light to carry. He gave us a single “chore” that we cannot cast aside: to find a way, however difficult, to love one another with our whole hearts.
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