Sit, Stand, Kneel...

Sounds like a dog obedience class, doesn't it?   Not that MY dogs have ever been to one.  No sir, they are just naturally well behaved (not), but we've done the home schooled version of dog obedience:

Lady & Lucky do well enough, but that has nothing to do with what this blog is about.

Rather, it is about the recent struggle in the NFL as to what to do during the playing of the national anthem.   Colin Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers, for those of you out there who don't live and breathe football from August to January every year) started it by sitting during the national anthem for the first three pre-season games (again, for those of you who don't live and breathe football, that's the time of year that the boys in the NFL test out their new boys to see who they keep and who they toss into the wind like deflated footballs).   Colin Kaepernick sat during the national anthem to protest the way the United States now treats blacks and other people of color.  His sitting during the national anthem was followed by a multitude of other NFL players resting on a single knee during the anthem and joining Mr. Kaepernick in his public protest against the recent and ongoing injustice against blacks and others of color in a country that is supposed to embrace people of all color... a fundamental premise on which this country was founded.

In response to his protest, we have seen more protests and counter-protests and sadly, even death threats to Mr. Kaepernick.  Many who disagree with Mr. Kaepernick believe that we should stand during the national anthem, particularly to avoid disrespect or dishonor to those veterans who have fought and risked their lives to protect the very freedom that allows us to protest, to struggle, and to inch ever closer to the true spirit of the golden rule... to love and treat others as we would ourselves.

As I have been pondering what I think of sitting or kneeling during the national anthem, I have had thoughts that range from:

'It's better than burning the American Flag, but ....'

to

'Is Standing no matter what blessing something that is fundamentally wrong?..'

But, in the middle of my pondering, my favorite NFL team did something about the Sit, Kneel, Stand dilemma.  

On September 11, the Seattle Seahawks stood during the National Anthem... arm in arm, intertwined, alternating black and white, united.

How, in all of our struggles have we forgotten this very basic message?  To fight together.  Not separately.   To come together as the melting pot on which our country was founded.

Our Seahawks (and others) sent the very message that we so very much need to hear. Whatever the injustice, whichever the ugliness, however the struggle, whenever the tragedy... we need to blend and fight it as a single country... stumbling, struggling, and inching toward a better unity.    

And, in my not so humble opinion, there is only one thing we need to alternate with being on our feet during the national anthem... and that is kneeling on not one but both knees in humble acknowledgement to an all powerful God that we need help from Him to more fully love and accept one another.   We simply can't do this by ourselves.  We are too weak and too flawed.  

Sound corny?  Well, of course.  But, let's give it a shot.  Instead of protesting, polarizing, arguing, or worse... can we spend some time standing, intertwined? ... black, white, asian, hispanic, male, female, poor, rich, and also some time on both knees?... acknowledging with humble hearts, that none of us has this whole relationship thing exactly right... and we need help.

Please?