Exploring the Act of Kneeling

Kneeling….

So many questions.

A sign of respect?

Or a sign of disrespect?

When should one kneel?

When should one not kneel?

Should peer/group/political pressure influence a personal decision to kneel or stand?

Are you standing when you should be kneeling?

Are you kneeling when you should be standing?

Does your decision depend on what is deemed politically correct or societally acceptable?

Does it depend on to whom, or to what, you wish to denote honour, deference and respect?

Does your decision reflect your integrity?

Traditionally, people stand for the national flag or the national anthem

To kneel might be considered disrespectful, as in the case of President Trump regarding Colin Kaepernick the black football player who was protesting police violence against unarmed black people.

Kaepernick chose to refuse to stand in respect of the American flag, as is customary. Instead, he chose to kneel, which is usually a humble sign of respect in different situations. Why did he kneel? Why did others follow suit?

https://youtu.be/bBdoDOXMWkg

Was Trump right to call this a disrespectful act? Did he misread the man’s actions? He was certainly wrong to publicly call the player an “sob”. There were so many more appropriate ways to address the situation.

Whatever the case, that particular act of kneeling has had a long term ripple effect, as we see today. It seems everyone is “taking a knee”. But….in what context?

Tradition:

Traditionally, people about to be knighted kneel, as a sign of allegiance to country or cause.

Traditionally, men kneel before a woman when they propose.

We kneel down to a child to get on their level

We kneel before an altar, in reverence before God

We kneel to beg….

Current Affairs:

A policeman kneeled on the neck of a black man in order to make him submissive and killed him in the process. He did this in front of people with cameras.

Definition: kneel down:

kneel down before (someone or something)

To show devotion, loyalty, or subservience to someone or something. A reference to the act of physically kneeling in front of someone or something, a sign of such loyalty and subservience.

The monarch wants the entire continent to kneel before him.

This protest is to show the government that we will never kneel before it.

A good article on the significance of kneeling:

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/the-psychology-of-taking-a-knee/

Today I saw a clip which showed a group of Democrat politicians, all sporting African tribally patterned (Kente) scarves, gifts from the Black Caucus, kneeling in silence in solidarity with the current Black Lives Matter protests. Powerful indeed. I wonder about the significance. Psychologically. Socially. Politically. Theatrically?

I wonder about the protests (in the face of Covid protocols) and the resulting mayhem and harm that ensues from supposedly peaceful protest. Where does the government really stand concerning draconian lockdown measures for health and good of country and absolute disregard for it all in protests?

https://youtu.be/Kpe9sEnidog

I also saw a clip of white police officers kneeling to wash the feet of black religious leaders. Another powerfully symbolic action carried out in humility and prayer in a corporate (substitutionary?) confession of sin against black lives and a quest for forgiveness.

Is it appropriate? What does it really signify? I have never doubted the value of personal repentance and reconciliation between individuals. I often have difficulty with aspects of corporate symbolic public expressions.

https://youtu.be/8jNcFfICVic

God help me.

God help us……

This is a tumultuous time that we are living in. I am honestly struggling to find the truth and meaning in everything going on around me. I struggle with myself and my own reactions.

I write to try to process. It is my therapy. I don’t mean to offend. I mean to question (myself and others), engage, and find truth. Your comments and reactions are welcome as part of that process of discovery.

Ann ❤