On Our Knees

When asked if the conversations during fellowship time would inform my Monday Manna this week, I jokingly said, “well we talked about knee replacements…it would be kind of daunting to take communion for those among us with knee problems by kneeling!”  I was joking, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed fitting.

One of the hymns we sang on Sunday in preparation for communion was “Let Us Break Bread Together.”  The verses say:

Let us break bread together on our knees. 

Let us drink wine together on our knees.

Let us praise God together on our knees. 

The refrain further reiterates the cause of our genuflection, and our possible discomfort:

When I fall on my knees with my face to the rising sun, O Lord, have mercy on me. 

We kneel before God in humility, in faith, asking for God’s grace upon us, as sinners. We fall short of the glory of God and yes, we need God’s grace. But when we bow before the Lord, we kneel with shelter above our heads.  We kneel with warm clothing and shoes on our bodies.  While yes, it may be hard on our joints to bend and kneel, we kneel with access to adequate health care.  We kneel with full bellies and the knowledge that we will not go hungry.  So, we give thanks God has been merciful to us and granted us such blessings.

But others, our very neighbors, fall to their knees with anguished pleas for deliverance. They beg to know the mercy of Christ who not only ate with sinners but fed the hungry and defended the poor.  They kneel beneath leaky rooftops and under bridges, Lord have mercy on me.  They kneel in tattered jackets and shoes with worn out soles, Lord have mercy on me. They kneel in pain facing medical conditions for which they cannot afford treatment, Lord have mercy on me.  They kneel with gnawing hunger and fear that there will not be enough food for their families, Lord have mercy on me.

It is humbling to consider, is it not? I hope it brings us to a place of conviction to consider this juxtaposition. For example, there was not one minute when my child was in pain the other night where I worried that I couldn’t afford to take him to the ER to find out what was wrong.  No hesitation, I would do whatever he needs to be healthy. Bring on the specialists!   I cannot imagine having to face those types of decisions. Yet I rarely stop long enough to consider many families have to face tough decisions and go without basic needs every day.  And so Lord, for the gifts I take for granted and the discomfort that makes me turn a blind eye, Lord have mercy on me.