Taking a Knee

For through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.  Gal 3:26-29

Approximately 150 protestors spent part of Martin Luther King, Jr Day outside of the Diocese of Lansing's office.

They were protesting how Lansing Catholic High School handled four football players who took a knee during the National Anthem before the Homecoming game with Ionia.

To recap how the Lansing Catholic's coaches and administration handled it:

• Mid-week the coach asked if any of the players intended to take a knee during the National Anthem. (ERJ comment:  I applaud the coaching staff for being proactive.)
• Four players indicated they would.  (ERJ comment:  I applaud the students for being honest.)
• After conferring with the administration, the coaching staff offered the four players ten minutes with a microphone during the half-time show to make a public statement if they would not take a knee. (I applaud the administration and coaching staff for coming up with a fabulous solution, one that appears to give the students more than they were asking for.)
• The students accepted the offer. (Good choice.)
• After discussing it with their families, the players informed the coaches that the deal was off.  That they were going to "take a knee". (This is where the story goes into The Twilight Zone.  Cui Bono?)
• The four players took a knee during the National Anthem.
• None of the four players started the game.
• All of the four players were put back into the game before half-time. (I applaud the coaching staff for finding a proportional response to the transgression.)

Lest this point elude the reader, "Taking a Knee" in football means:  "I declare that I choose to not  participate."  Take a knee after taking the snap?   It means "Play over, I don't want to participate."  Take a knee while fielding a punt?  It means, "Play over, I don't want to continue on to the next logical part of the game."

For whatever difference it makes, I support the process used by the Diocese of Lansing through this circus show.  They negotiated in good faith.

And, as an organization dedicated to getting people to heaven, they are keeping their eye-on-the-prize.  And the prize is not fleeting glory on the athletic field; the prize is the character (conscience) developed on those fields. 

There are some things that are binary.  Are you saved or going to perdition?  Are you a Catholic (or Baptist, or Methodist or Muslim) or not?  Are you a member of this team or are you a free agent.