Taking a Knee

Published by Jeff Gerig · September 23 at 2:33pm

Taking a Knee

Whether you like football or not, everyone seems to have an opinion on San Francisco's second string quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, refusing to stand for the national anthem; choosing to kneel instead, to draw attention to issues that are important to him.

When asked why he wasn’t standing, this was his response. "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color." Kaepernick told NFL Media in an exclusive interview after the game, "To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder." He added that he is going to continue to sit until he sees real change happening towards how people of color are treated.

I don’t tend to be a real controversial person or plan to wade too deeply into this discussion but I do have several observations that I think have some parallels to our Christian walk.

Kaepernick took a page right out of most church policy manuals which reads, “to get what you want, draw attention to yourself by criticizing or disrespecting something people hold dear, threaten to continue the disruption unless you get what you want, and make people choose sides as to where their loyalty lies.” It seems kind of selfish to me.

Church members have their own way of drawing attention to themselves to push their agenda through, whether it be withholding their tithe like a ransom, covering their ears or refusing to sing during the worship time, walking out when the pastor gets up to preach, refusing to serve the rest of the church body with their spiritual gifts or by sowing seeds of discontent by publicly speaking negative comments about church leadership, not to mention a whole bunch of whining and complaining. 

This mindset permeates our American culture. We distrust our leaders and champion the cause of the underdog that dare takes on the establishment. Rarely does this strategy end well though.

I have also learned from past experience that most often the means used to create the controversy is long remembered and the initial message is not. Most people have only a general idea of why Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the national anthem. I had to go back and pull up the interview myself. Many say they have joined the cause because they want to show a sign of support for all he is going through. For others, it has become the “trendy” thing to do. Some say they disagree with what he is doing but they respect his right to do so. While that seems like the “high road” to take, all it does is change the narrative from a civil rights issue to a free speech issue. 

The media has pushed this story because it makes for interesting news but I have yet to hear of any plans made by Mr. Kaepernick to simply go beyond taking a knee during the anthem or making random statements.

So too in churches, many gripe about what they don’t like about their church but they have no clear idea of how they would go about solving the problem themselves. As a result, feelings get hurt and a church becomes more divided and problems are never resolved. It isn’t enough to identify problems, they must be addressed and solved to everyone’s mutual satisfaction.

We live in a great country, one of the best on earth. I know there are inequalities and struggles among a myriad of minorities. As an evangelical Christian in this country, I now find myself in a minority group. Yet where on this earth could one go where minorities are treated better… Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Middle East? What about Russia or India or Pakistan? Where could one go and enjoy the rights that we enjoy here in the United States? 

So if America is one of the best places in how they treat their minority people groups, wouldn’t a better strategy be to recognize the progress that has already been made and then discuss how we can make things even better. Why must there always be a crisis point to spark change? Is it because we aren’t listening to one another? Why must we always take one step backward to move two steps forward. Creating division in an attempt to gain a favorable outcome always comes at a high cost.

This idea of creating conflict to be heard and move an agenda has divided and destroyed numerous churches in our region. It must stop. We are not to be about making church exactly what we want it to be but rather to make disciples who in turn will make disciples for Christ’s church.

I predict nothing will come of this “kneel in” because it is now four weeks and there is still no game plan set as to how to “move the ball forward,” [pardon the pun.] As a nation, and as churches, we will become even more divided and less caring toward one another, unless somehow Christians again become the light to a darkened world.