Lit A Fire!
When NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to sit during the National Anthem, he lit the fire of a roaring national debate. In a journalism culture that overdoses on a news story and then gets quickly bored with it, I'm intrigued the flames seem only to have intensified. One commentator I read suggested Kaepernick's career is finished. An ESPN poll shows him as the NFL’s most disliked player. Others are standing with (or is that sitting beside) Kaepernick.
Nothing Illegal, But…
What should a Christian think? May I share with you my own thoughts?
There seems to be nothing illegal about Kaepernick's decision. Nothing forbidden by the NFL. Indeed, the 49ers management has repeatedly expressed their support for the quarterback's decision. Yet I disagree.
Mr. Kaepernick—along with every American—surely has the right to voice his opinion. But I believe his anthem stance (or lack thereof) is inappropriate. Here's why.
What If We All Sat?!
This nation has never been perfect. We have always had problems…issues…ugly wounds. But if all of us decided we'd “had enough” with regard to whatever our particular issue is (abortion, immigration, excessive taxes, loss of religious freedom, etc.) and sat down during the national anthem, than almost no one would stand.
We do not stand up for the National Anthem because America is perfect or without serious flaws. We stand up because we have a country where these issues can actually be freely debated and—when in need—corrected through discussion and legislation. We stand up because doing so shows respect, just as not standing shows disrespect
Render Unto Caesar
To sit down during the national anthem is perceived as a slap in the face to everyone who has ever put on a uniform to defend our flag.
It seems to me Christ's words, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s” might well include the respect associated with standing for our national anthem. Even if our nation is less than perfect.