A former Raider, and current Baltimore Raven, who stood for last weekend’s national anthem. Released a powerful message saying why he might find a reason to kneel during the song.
As the whole of the league seems bent on enraging fans who disapprove of the constant protests during the playing of the national anthem, one player had a different message about kneeling during the song.
Offensive tackle Austin Howard was one of the few Ravens players who stood for the national anthem in last Saturday’s game played at London’s Wembley stadium.
Even though the Ravens and their opponents, the Jaguars, both stood at attention for the playing of the British national anthem, many of the players took a knee as the strains of the U.S. anthem began to fill the air.
Howard was not one of those players, but after the game, he did lay out one reason why he might kneel for the anthem.
The Iowa-born player took to his Instagram account to note that if he did go down it would be on both knees so that he could pray for this troubled nation.
“I have so many thoughts, emotions and opinions about the unfortunate and current state of our country right now. It would be so easy to lash back with an unthought through response, and ‘go on the attack’, but what would that do?” Howard wrote on September 26.
The player then told fans that instead, he would pass along some important words on the topic from a pastor that he and his family have consulted for years.
“If I take a knee during the national anthem, it would be two knees, so that I can pray for the evil and wrong in this world…” Mere men cannot make the changes that need to happen, only One can defeat all evil, and ease the pain this evil has caused so many.
The player went on to deliver a message that is quite different from the one based on anger being relayed by so many of his fellow players.
Lord, I pray for this country, I thank you for blessing me enough to live in this great country, I pray for the hearts of those who have succumbed to hatred and evil. I pray that the message that those like me need to get across to others can be done in such a manner that truths and actual feelings may be clearly seen and understood.
We are all different, and every single one of us were born in sin. It is only by Your Grace that we are able to wake up each and every day. Allow those who are in such positions to make positive changes by using their public platforms that you have blessed them with, do so in a manner that upholds all truth and brings honor to your Name and Kingdom. In Jesus name, Amen!!!
While many other players are kneeling in anger and pointing fingers at soldiers, police officers, white Americans, and the nation as a whole, Austin Howard has a message of peace, humility, and gratitude. Who has the better message?
Howard’s full Instagram post can be read, here.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.