Bowed Head or Bended Knee?

לֵֽאלָהַ֗י לָ֤א אִֽיתֵיכוֹן֙ פָּֽלְחִ֔ין וּלְצֶ֧לֶם דַּהֲבָ֛א דִּ֥י הֲקֵ֖ימֶת לָ֥א סָֽגְדִֽין

(Do you not serve my gods nor worship the golden image I established? – Dan 3:14b)

The passage from Daniel 3 is part of the famous “fiery furnace” ordeal Daniel’s three companions experience. Daniel 3:1 – 12 describes the ruling elites of Babylon demanding worship of an image of their king erected in a prominent, public area. In this chapter, all people are required to bend the knee and worship the golden image when the appropriate time is announced (Dan 3:4 – 5). Failure to comply results in a death sentence - being cast into a fiery furnace (Dan 3:6). For these biblical writers, the Babylonian rulers wanted not only acceptance, but also adoration.

This story in Daniel 3 came to mind as I reflected on the varied responses and reactions to Kirk’s death. Within some circles, Kirk is becoming more than an American hero. He is a Christian martyr. To witness the real-time construction of American hagiography provides a glimpse into long-standing national traditions. His civil veneration has included induction into America’s hallowed hall of heroes. Reportedly, President Trump announced at a 9/11 memorial service Kirk would receive (posthumously) a Presidential Medal of Freedom. As part of his speech regarding 9/11, Trump reportedly stated, “In America… we defy the fear, endure the flames and emerge from the crucible of every hardship stronger, prouder, and greater than ever before.” The language of enduring the flames and emerging from the crucible of hardship evokes Daniel 3.

In our contemporary contexts, the religious language and imagery honoring Kirk continues to intensify. He, like others America nominates for civil sainthood, become icons of causes and tests of allegiance. Their legacy is shrouded in Christian symbols, which sanctify what many would consider deplorable. As a result of this American pseudo-beatification, the lines between respect and reverence are blurring.

The bowed head signals respect. The bended knee embodies submission and denotes endorsement. As I listen, read, and watch the national furor over the past ten days, this distinction between the bowed head and bended knee helps me understand this moment. For some, anything less than unqualified praise for the man and his message is blasphemous, ungodly, and un-American. For others, lamenting the loss of life does not (and should not) require ignoring or rebranding what many deem unconscionable. For those in this camp, the inflation and elevation of Kirk to national sainthood is un-American, ungodly, and idolatrous.

Last week, I wrote that the nation’s final verdict will say more about the nation than it does about Kirk. In a country where religious ideals, political values, and national identity are often intertwined, this current moment highlights the persistence of these primordial elements in our nation. Thus, participating in the veneration of Kirk is becoming a litmus test to determine one’s “Christian” piety and “American” patriotism. For some, to bow the head in lament is inadequate; one must bend the knee in veneration. Like the rulers’ actions in Daniel 3, I wonder if recent actions by our “ruling elites” is a harbinger of things to come. If it is, what will be the fiery furnace some may experience for not paying proper reverence for (i.e., worshipping) the newest image erected for public veneration?