Kneel, Stand, Move, Repeat
It's football season in America and a lot of us have discussed the issues and activism that can distract us from enjoying the game of professional football. We all know the conflict between the NFL, former quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and even the President of these United States, and many have voiced disdain for professional athletes who kneel in protest of inequality during the anthem on Sunday and sleep in multi-million dollar mansions behind armed security Monday through Saturday. Still, some NFL athletes put their money, and their time, where their mouth is.
On September 24th, Christian radio station K-LOVE linked its Facebook page to a YouTube video that showed Carson Wentz, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, supporting his local church's idea of a food truck to help spread the love of Christ in Philadelphia. Titled "Thy Kingdom Crumb" the truck is staffed by Wentz, his fellow Eagles who share his faith, like Zach Ertz, and parishioners of the Connect Church, with which Carson is affiliated.
According to the website, Thy Kingdom Crumb is dedicated to spreading the word of God, and a little cheer, through their food ministry. Their charter does not focus solely on the homeless or the destitute, but on everyone they meet in their Philadelphia and South Jersey area, regardless of that person's status or socioeconomic circumstance. Thy Kingdom Crumb is an example of how we, as Christians, can put our God-given money where our activist mouth is and follow James' instruction.
"Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,' and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone." (James 2:21-24, NIV)
Still, too many people will say, "That's easy for Carson Wentz. He's a millionaire." Christian, I'll let you in on a secret—God doesn't care. He doesn't care how much money you have or how "famous" you are in this world. He doesn't care if you are Carson Wentz, millionaire football player for the Philadelphia Eagles, or Mark Klages, thousandaire writer for the Christian Examiner. He calls you to faith with deeds. The Bible contains dozens of scriptures about doing good deeds in conjunction with your faith. It does not matter if that deed is writing a book about your Christian faith, giving men a safe place to recover from addiction, giving your last two dollars to the special offering on Sunday or driving the church bus to pick up kids who would not otherwise have a way to get to church. He wants your heart, your time, your love and your desire. He will give you whatever you need to fulfill His plan for your life, just like with Abraham.
"Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, 'Father?' 'Yes, my son?' Abraham replied. 'The fire and wood are here,' Isaac said, 'but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?' Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.'" (Gen 22:6-8, NIV)
So my challenge to us all today is to be more like Abraham, Carson Wentz, and Tammy the mother of 5 who gets everyone, including her special needs child, up early on Sunday so she can drive the church van. Kneel if God calls you to, but then get on your feet and do something about it.
—Mark Klages is an influential contributor, a former US Marine and a lifelong teacher who focuses on applying a Christian worldview to everyday events. Mark blogs at https://maklagesl3.wixsite.com/website under the title "God Provides where Hate Divides," with a heart to heal social, political, relational, and intellectual wounds through God's divine love and grace. Mark can also be found on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-klages-04b42511/.