Do We Really Believe the Bible Stories We Teach our Kids? (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and . . .)

“Attention, everyone! Every race, color, and creed, listen! When you hear the band strike up – all the trumpets and trombones, the tubas and baritones, the drums and cymbals – fall to your knees and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who does not kneel and worship shall be thrown immediately into a roaring furnace.”

“Attention, everyone! Every race, color, and creed, listen! When you hear the band strike up – all the trumpets and trombones, the tubas and baritones, the drums and cymbals; when you hear the singers – the country singers, the R&B singers, the rock & roll singers, the cute kid singers – stand up, place your hand over your heart, and worship the flag, the song, and this great country that President Trump says we must worship. Anyone who does not stand and worship shall immediately loose their job.”

Physical stances have been an identification tool for ages, used to identify the object or person to whom people commit their allegiance. Standing and using an action involving the arm and hand has been typical of nationalist movements. Kneeling has throughout history been seen as barbaric, superstitious, and inappropriate for a free man, a sign of weakness.

This is why in the time of Nebuchadnezzar the people kneeled. The king was strong, the people weak. Free men would stand. Slaves and servants would kneel. The command by the king was to kneel. What did the people of faith do? Today, the command by the “king” is to stand. What are the people of faith to do?

In true fashion, Jesus Christ turned everything upside down. Kneeling became the stance of the followers of the Carpenter from Nazareth. Cardinal Ratzinger writes about The Theology of Kneeling in The Spirit of the Liturgy: “The man who learns to believe learns also to kneel . . . “For the Followers of the Way – the early Christians – standing to demonstrate allegiance to the state and it’s ruler was anathema. Kneeling became and still is the physical stance that clearly demonstrates allegiance to Jesus Christ, the Carpenter from Nazareth.

With this in mind, imagine . . . A star of the nationalistic gladiatorial sport takes center stage. He is a Follower of the Carpenter from Nazareth and he uses his notoriety and position – his Stage – to make a statement. He chooses to take a different physical stance than everyone else during the nationalistic celebration that begins the contest. He kneels instead of standing and saluting the national symbol and the ruler. He conscientiously chooses his physical stance to bring awareness and make a statement regarding the injustices and oppression being experienced by the underclass of the empire.

If this were a story from the days of the Roman Empire, Christians today would be celebrating this hero of the faith through word and song. However, this is the story of Colin Kapernick and it is taking place today in our American Empire.

Is he cheered, affirmed, and held up as an example of courage and truth? Quite the opposite. He is being denigrated and shamed by the people who claim the name of Christ.

So let’s return to those Bible stories of old . . . Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were my heroes as a kid and they are still my heroes. Their story along with Daniel in the Lions Den, were without question my favorite Bible stories growing up as a kid. I didn’t understand or even know as a kid that what I was admiring was their courage and conviction. I just knew that they were told to do something that everyone else was doing and they did the opposite. And doing the opposite was the right thing to do and I liked that! Everyone else was kneeling and they stood. And they stood even though they knew they would face terrible consequences.

And then there was that whole fiery furnace thing, heated seven times hotter, and that question that stopped the show! “Didn’t we throw three men, bound hand and foot, into the fire?” And the response of an amazed king . . . “But look! I see four men, walking around freely in the fire, completely unharmed! And the fourth man looks like a son of the gods!” How did that happen!?!?

And then there is Mordecai and Esther. One wouldn’t bow and the other broke all rules and decorum, at the risk of death, to be the voice of justice to the King for her oppressed people. These all were people in positions of power and influence who used their positions – their Stage – to challenge the highest authority, bringing attention to the injustices being imposed on their people, and bringing about significant positive changes.

They took actions against their nation state and against the supreme authority by simply committing actions that were the direct opposite of the actions they were instructed and ordered to take. They took physical stances directly opposite to the stances they were instructed and ordered to take. They risked everything making sure they stood out and were noticed in their efforts to demonstrate they served a higher authority and to bring attention to the oppression of their people.

I originally learned these Old Testament stories from white Evangelical Christians. They were the people who taught me these heroes of the faith were righteous and just people who deserved to be emulated – matched or surpassed – by my life and faith. And now???

TODAY, we have a follower of the Carpenter from Nazareth who is emulating our heroes of the faith by taking a very peaceful physical stance – a stance opposite of what he is told he must take by the nation state, the “king”, and the people who follow this “king”.

TODAY, we have a brother who is following in the footsteps of these heroes of our faith, choosing to take a physical stance on the national stage to raise awareness of the injustices and oppression of his people.

TODAY, we see the people group who taught me these amazing stories of faith AND so many people like me, who were taught to emulate these stories of courage and conviction, we see the majority of you turn your back, refuse to listen, refuse to hear and see the movement of The Spirit, refuse to acknowledge the historical faith Kapernick’s actions spring from, and worst of all . . . YOU spend your energies working to denigrate and destroy Kapernick and all those who dare to kneel (instead of stand).

I admit to watching and listening to you these days with a mixture of sadness and anger gripping my heart and disturbing questions roiling through my mind.

• How do you so easily fail to acknowledge the presence of the "Shadrachs", "Meshachs", "Abednegos", "Mordacais", and "Esthers" in our midst?
• How do you justify refusing to humble yourselves and listen to the cries of the oppressed? 
• How do you instead choose to defend your privilege and attack the messenger?
• When did you acquiesce to nationalism as a replacement for your sole commitment to the Kingdom of God?
• Was it acquiescence or has it always been this way and circumstances are simply bringing your true commitment into the light?
• Did you ever pause and consider the ramifications of these stories you taught me?
• Has the possibility ever entered your mind that our people group - white Evangelical Christians - are aligned and and participants with the oppressors?

Belief without action is only opinion and actions are the tell tale sign of what we believe. I’ll say it again . . . You are the people who taught me these amazing Old Testament stories and challenged me to live into and perhaps surpass the obedience and conviction of these heroes. And now I watch as you choose to “bow” in honor and worship to our nation state and our “King Nebuchadnezzar”. I am ashamed of your hypocrisy and I understand why so many want nothing to do with our so-called faith. And yet you wonder why they are throwing the proverbial “baby out with the bath water”.

One more question . . . Did you ever really believe the truths of those stories you taught me?