On Colin Kaepernick | September 14, 2016
I disagree with Colin Kaepernick, the back-up 49er QB who refuses to stand for the national anthem.
Naturally I support his right to make a statement, and i don't entirely disagree with the statement he's trying to make. Sure, we need more conversation about violence and poverty and inequality. We've come a long way through the years, but way too many folks have been left behind, and their struggle is very, very real.
And I don't mind the idea of peaceful protest one bit. It's what distinguishes us as Americans and, well, I'm proud of that part of our identity.
And I have to admit that, as a Christian, I have to pause when a fellow Christian makes a statement about justice and mercy, the hallmarks of Judeo-Christian ethics. That's a rich part of Christian history, after all. Lest we forget, the apostles were taught to submit to governmental authority, but not when it conflicted with the way of Christ. And no Christian in the first 300 years after Jesus would have even thought to pledge allegiance to Rome. "One faith, one Lord, one baptism" was the rallying cry, not as a protest to Rome but as a reminder that our ultimate allegiance is to a different kind of king and kingdom.
So yes, I'm thankful for Kaepernick's right to free speech and this long-standing history of peaceful protests.
But I disagree with his choice of time and space. These days there are fewer and fewer places where we Americans set aside agendas and division and speak with one voice. Divisiveness is at a chronic level. Grandstanding is all too common. The explosion of "Individual expression" is tiring. It seems like everyone wants to go viral these days, and its rarely for any reason other than pure self-promotion.
Amidst all the disagreement and grandstanding, there remains one place where all of that is set aside, and that's during the singing of the national anthem. Rituals matter, after all, and this is one ritual that's designed to unite, not divide. It's that one remaining American ritual when we figuratively join hands and say, "we're all in this together."
I remember the outcry when Roseanne Barr butchered the national anthem during a Padres game. And I admit getting irritated when other singers have done their best to turn attention on themselves more than the star spangled banner and the corporate history/values it represents.
Why should we care? Because it's important that we honor those moments, not out of blind allegiance, but out of a common drive to be "the land of the free and the home of the brave."
Sure, there's a lot to protest these days. If we don't take seriously the epidemic of poverty, we're going to face some serious consequences. If we don't figure out how to prioritize public education, our community's future will be in serious jeopardy. And, yes, if we don't take seriously the fact that "black lives matter," our racial divide will become even more chasmic.
Please, let's have that conversation. But not during the singing of the national anthem. In that moment, let's dare to stand as one.
Peace+
Pastor Rhodes
