Tell It Tuesday: How Football Led Kaepernick to a Higher Calling

Photo illustration by Cristiana Couceiro. Source photograph of Colin Kaepernick: Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/ Getty Images.

By Ta-ning Connai

There’s nothing like a man on a mission, especially a man who didn’t set out to be on one. Colin Kaepernick was getting busy on the turf when the call to activism came knocking. His stand against racial injustice came by way of a kneel and the rest, my friend, is history.

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Kaepernick was bad-mouthed and blackballed as every racist with a rant chimed in for his demise. But our so-called Leader of the Free World dealt the most recent blow: Trump pressured the NFL to contrive a new policy placing limitations on protest, with consequences that put players’ careers at risk. But wait, coercion and collusion are ILLEGAL! And according to Sports Illustrated, Kaepernick’s lawyer says there’s a new whistleblower in town and the NFL is going down! Watch out for “a dramatic turn (in the case)” he said, recently. So, who’s coming over for popcorn?!I believe that one day, Colin Kaepernick will be listed amongst the greatest of civil rights leaders who were willing to fight for what’s right in spite of the evil forces that tried to bring them down. This brother demonstrates commitment to his new-found mission, although the transitional stage has been rough.

Times of transition can have you feeling stuck in the middle of nowhere! You can’t go back to where you were, there are way more challenges where you are, and you have no clue where you’re going. It’s like that fork in the road that NEVER has a sign. Ugh, don’t you just hate those?

I just hope the worst of my transitions are all behind me. ‘Cause the next time Jesus comes knocking at my door to take me on a journey of biblical proportions, I’m asking for a raincheck! And knowing Jesus, He’s gonna wanna take the scenic route.

But really, the truth is, I’ll be packed with all my snacks, up and ready to go; because, as much as I hate to admit it, transition is the place where transformation takes place. You become who you had no idea you could, and you get to see God be Who you had no idea He would! It’s the launching pad for enormous growth and unfortunately, there’s no microwave version for that. No GPS to measure from point A to B, no anesthesia for the pain (yes, sometimes it hurts). But there’s one thing for sure…if you’re in transition, you’ve been chosen for a mission.

I always marvel at what Daniel did when he found himself in the same kinda jam (Daniel 1:1)…He remained committed to what he believed in. This character from the Scriptures had character galore and with his winning combo of fearlessness and faith, this guy right here could never lose.

Daniel’s time in Babylon was more or less considered a transition. He was taken captive from the comforts of his home and thrust into a pagan culture that conflicted with his religious upbringing. But because Daniel was the consummate wiz kid, officials brought him into their inner circle for access to his various skills. That was all cool with Daniel…as long as it didn’t interrupt his regularly scheduled program. In spite of his current displacement, Daniel was STILL gonna pray to his God, loud and proud like he always had…no if’s, and’s or but’s about it!

Since haters gonna hate, a conspiracy was devised to take poor Daniel down. They passed a law for all citizens to refrain from praying (except to the king) for 30 days. All that to bring one man down??? Yep. And guess what Daniel did? He flung those windows open so hard, they nearly broke off the hinges! And then he got on the floor (like Kaepernick’s kneel!) and belted out a prayer so loud, it practically shook the building! God chose Daniel as an example of relentless righteousness and Daniel had the guts to follow through. This transition was not gonna break Daniel, no matter how hard the “powers-that-be” tried.

Unfortunately, all this guts and glory got Daniel’s butt thrown into the lion’s den. However, what happened next is nothing short of a miracle…Danny Boy came out alive! Even the king couldn’t deny how God responded to Daniel’s stance and some major changes were made that day. The king ordered the entire nation to turn to Daniel’s God, but not before turning the lions loose on Daniel’s schemers! How ’bout dat! Daniel’s transition was vital to the mission.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 says, “The end of a thing is better than its beginning…” which means you might not like how things are going, but the outcome is always a win! Have the audacity to STAND and everything else will eventually fall. Have faith in God and watch your bumpy transition lead you to your unshakeable mission!

“We ought to obey God rather than men…” Acts 5:29