Unshakable Christian Player Is First In NBA Not To Kneel: ‘Kneeling…Doesn’t Go Hand In Hand In Supporting Black Lives’

OPINION | This article contains commentary which reflects the author's opinion.

By
Lawrence Richard
-

Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, who BizPac Review reports is also a Christian minister, stood for the National Anthem ahead of his team’s game versus the Brooklyn Nets.

While every other player knelt, he stood. And, he did so intentionally, purposefully, and to send a message that the world needs Jesus.

“We all fall short of God’s glory, and that at the end of the day, whoever will humble themselves and see God and repent of their sins, that we could see it in a different light … see people’s evil in a different light … it would help bring us closer together, and get past skin color, get past anything that’s on the surface that doesn’t really deal with the hearts of men and women,” he explained after the game.

And:

After the game, Bleacher Report reporter Taylor Rooks asked Isaac about his decision and he responded with a thorough explanation of the Christian gospel and how its virtues—forgiveness, love, acceptance—can help mend a broken country.

“You didn’t kneel during the anthem, but you also didn’t wear a Black Lives Matter shirt. Do you believe black lives matter?” Rooks asked him.

Isaac answered, via BizPac Review:

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Absolutely. I believe that black lives matter A lot went into my decision … kneeling or wearing a Black Lives Matter T-shirt don’t go hand-in-hand with supporting black lives … I do believe that black lives matter, but I just felt like it was a decision that I had to make, and I didn’t feel like putting that shirt on and kneeling went hand-in-hand with supporting black lives.

My life has been supported through the gospel, Jesus Christ, everyone is made in the image of God and that we all fall short of God’s glory, and that each and every one of us each and every day do things that we shouldn’t do, we say things that we shouldn’t say, we hate and dislike people that we shouldn’t hate and dislike, and sometimes it gets to a point where we point fingers about whose evil is worse, and sometimes it comes down to simply whose evil is most visible.

I felt like I wanted to just take a stand on [it]. [I feel like] we all make mistakes, but I think that the gospel of Jesus Christ is that there’s grace for us, and that Jesus came and died for our sins, and that we all will come to an understanding of that, and understand that God wants to have a relationship with us, that we can get past skin color, we can get past all the things in our world that are messed up, jacked up.

I think when you look around, racism isn’t the only thing that afflicts our society, that plagues our nation, that plagues our world. I feel like coming together on that message, that we want to get past not only racism but everything that plagues us as a society, I feel like the answer to it is the gospel.

He did not stop there.

Rooks then specifically asked about Isaac’s Christian faith and how it impacted his decision.

“Can you explain what religion has to do with kneeling for the anthem to protest against racism and police brutality?” she asked.

“I don’t think that kneeling or putting on a T-shirt, for me personally, is the answer,” Isaac replied via BizPac Review. “I feel like for me, black lives are supported through the gospel. All lives are supported through the gospel.”

“That we all, like I said, have things that we do wrong … we all fall short of God’s glory, and that at the end of the day, whoever will humble themselves and see God and repent of their sins, that we could see it in a different light … see people’s evil in a different light … it would help bring us closer together, and get past skin color, get past anything that’s on the surface that doesn’t really deal with the hearts of men and women,” he concluded.

Listen to his comments below:

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