A Time to Kneel and a Time to Stand

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ecclesiastes 3:1

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

(ESV)

There are often unintended consequences when events occur.  The recent events in the NFL with players kneeling or standing with arms locked in protest during the National Anthem has had the unintended consequence of causing people to tune into something else.  (1)  With ticket sales now affected, (2) the unintended consequence is that the revenue sources that fund the massive salaries paid to players is fading away, eventually teams will be unable to financially survive.  As a fan who watches sports for entertainment and as a means of escaping the political turmoil, the unintended consequence is that watching sports, especially the NFL is no longer fun or entertaining. 

In Psalm 95, the psalmist urges us to kneel before the Lord our maker (Psalm 95:6).  A man with a demon possessed son knelt before Jesus seeking healing and deliverance for his son (Matthew17: 14-21).  A mother even knelt before the Lord when asking the Lord to elevate her two sons to a position of sitting with Jesus in His Kingdom (Matthew 20:20-21).  The soldiers crucifying Jesus even mockingly knelt before Him (Matthew 27:29).  What these passages in scripture have in common is someone kneeling before the Lord in reverence, when making a petition, or mockingly.  My question to those kneeling during the anthem is are you kneeling before the Lord or in mockery to further some selfish agenda.

In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul speaks of the Gentiles ability to stand in faith due to their grafting into the life-giving root of a relationship with God (Romans 11:20).  Prior to sporting events, the tradition is to play the National Anthem and for people, including the players, to stand facing the flag with hats or helmets removed.  Just as we can stand in faith due to the work of Jesus on the cross, by standing during the playing of the anthem we are honoring our ability to stand as a nation due to what the flag and anthem stand for and in honor of the thousands that have paid the ultimate price, their lives, in preservation of the nation.  People are tuning the NFL off and not buying tickets because of disgust with multi-millionaire athletes showing disrespect by kneeling during the Anthem.  Even those standing with arms locked are not doing so out of respect for the nation, but out of protest of perceived oppression.  Granted the United States is not perfect but these imperfections are not a reason to disrespect the liberty the nation stands for and those that have fought to preserve that liberty. 

NFL players who locked arms and either stood or knelt claim they are doing so as an act of solidarity or unity.  (3)  Unity is important and even something Jesus urged his disciples and church to do (John 13:34-35).  However, Jesus call for unity in the church was not for the church just to stand but in context of his commissioning the church to spread the good news of the Gospel (Mark 16:15).  James said it well in James 2:14 when he said works must go with faith. 

There is a time to kneel and a time to stand.  Scripturally we kneel before God to honor Him and when making a petition (Psalm 95:6, Matthew 17: 14-21, Matthew 20:20-21) and stand in faith respecting the finished work of salvation by Jesus on the cross (Romans 11:20).  The playing of the National Anthem and presentation of the flag prior to a sporting event is not a place to kneel for just as the soldiers kneeling before Jesus at the cross were mocking Him, kneeling during the National Anthem is mocking those that have served and sacrificed their lives in preservation of the liberties that the flag and anthem stand for. 

The United States like all nations of the world is imperfect.  However, kneeling or standing in a show of unity prior to a sporting event does nothing towards solving these imperfections.  Instead I urge the athletes either kneeling or standing to find a unity of purpose like they are accustomed to doing on the athletic field of play and invest their own money and time to fix these imperfections.  Fans tune in to NFL broadcasts or buy tickets to NFL games to see gifted athletes play football, so stand in respect for the nation and people who have served or now serve to preserve your liberty to play and go out and play football. 

1. Skiver, Kevin. Poll: Anthem protests biggest reason NFL viewers stopped watching. www.cbssports.com. [Online] CBS Sports, July 27, 2017. [Cited: October 1, 2017.] https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/poll-kaepernicks-anthem-protests-biggest-reason-nfl-viewers-stopped-watching/.

2. Bedard, Paul. NFL ticket sales plummet 17.9%. www.washingtonexaminer.com. [Online] The Washington Examiner, September 28, 2017. [Cited: October 1, 2017.] http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/nfl-ticket-sales-plummet-179/article/2635955.

3. NFL Staff. NFL players protest, show unity during anthems. www.nfl.com. [Online] NFL, September 24, 2017. [Cited: October 1, 2017.] http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000849653/article/nfl-players-protest-show-unity-during-anthems.