An Episcopal Priest Walks into a Bar…one man's take on the NFL controversy
Here's my take on the whole kneeling vs.standing controversy in NFL sports from an Episcopalian perspective. Those of you fellow Episcopalians will understand! Hope you enjoy!
So this Episcopal Priest walks into a bar.
There they sit, the regulars, hunched over their Bud Lites.
But strangely not animated today, especially before such a big game.
It’s thirty minutes before kickoff, and the TV pundits are blathering on with no one listening.
Actually, he thought, the boys look a little discouraged.
“Hey guys.”
They turn in a uniform half swivel, and the man nearest the door greets him.
“Hey Father we were just talking about you.”
“Well in that case you can buy me a Single Malt.”
“Father you should know about this, being in the Church and all, you know, kneeling and standing? We don’t know what to think anymore.”
Well good deal he thinks to himself; I walk out of Church politics straight into Sports politics. Is nothing Sacred?
“So do you pray sitting, standing or kneeling?”
“All of the above, and sometimes bowing.”
“What if someone stands when everyone else kneels, or kneels if everyone else stands?”
“We consider things like that in terms of what Jesus would think, which is that your Faith and Christian deeds far outweigh your posture.”
“Yeh but these guys kneeling; its like a slap in the face!”
‘Maybe they are showing respect.”
“How can that be, Father?”
“For a country where they have the freedom, and protected right, to do so.”
The game and anthem are about to begin, so some of the boys stand.
Some stay seated.
Father is thinking to himself; what I would really like is to lie down; this stuff is wearing me out.