By Kneeling, He Stood: Frank Reich and Humble-Justice
Frank Reich led one of the greatest comeback victories in NFL history.
Frank Reich may also help us all come back: to our senses.
What I am about to say will make some people surprised, others upset.
I am a “conservative” in about every way you can use that term.
I care for our finances, conservatively. I manage the creation I am responsible for, conservatively. I stand under the authority of The Scriptures, conservatively. I am a social conservative, believing that I bear accountability to pass on to the next generation, the great ideas and ideals of life. And I am a political conservative, which to me means, I believe in preserving and protecting those ideals passed on to me; little things like justice and freedom, honor for my country and respect for my fellow man.
What Frank Reich did on Sunday, I believe, is the attribute of a preservative-conservative.
You see conservatives believe in maintaining justice woven with humility. Conservatives believe in bending the knee to the authority of God over our lives, over all of life. The only true origin of justice is derived from a Transcendent source, directly from The Personal Eternal Triune Creator (“the just Judge,” 2 Chron 12:6, Ps 11:7; Jer 12:1; Lam 1:18). God says, “Conserve the teaching of justice I have given you by standing under the authority of My righteousness” (Ps 146:7-9; Prov 31:8-9; Jer 22:3). Through Micah The Lord said, “Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with your God” (6:8). These are conservative-preservative principles.
Conservatives like me believe the only way you get justice is if you have a standard for it. “Justice” is not based on some social construct, a human movement, or personal defiance. Righteousness is the standard for justice, which only emanates from the Throne of God (Ps 33:5; 89:14; Isa 9:7; Jer 9:24).
Reich explained why he did what he did. Click this line to read an article here explaining his decision (and it was not about the national anthem). He made a statement unlike many who preceded him in the act. He did so out of humility. Humble-justice is a biblical construct (Isa 1:17; Amos 5:14-15; Zeph 2:3). In my opinion, Reich’s conservative-preservative approach to The Bible (he has been a church pastor and president of a conservative Presbyterian seminary) compelled him, convicted him, to take a stand, by taking a knee.
I believe, as a conservative evangelical Christian, that the authority for justice emanates from The Throne of God and that all other justice depends on God’s Justice. I believe that my responsibility is to love my neighbor, a command unlike other religions espouse, since God demonstrated it, by becoming our neighbor through the incarnation. These are conservative-preservative ideals that can have no other source.
And because I believe so strongly in biblical justice and its place in human societies, the application concerns America as a country. I believe that to maintain justice, America needs righteous judges, honest lawyers, virtuous legislators, a strong military, good policing, law, order, and the honoring of a nation which is to constantly strive toward its great ideal; “that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights.”
And sometimes that means that I remind my country that strength is proven in humility.
As I young man, I watched Frank Reich engineer one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history.
Sunday, I watched Frank Reich kneel on the sidelines which may yet engineer another great come back: calling America back to humble-justice founded upon God’s righteousness.
An occasional, personal writing. Find my bio here.
Photo Credit: https://www.latestnewsera.com/sports/opinion-frank-reich-kneels-during-anthem-because-its-not-black-communities-problem-to-fix/