Some members of the Covenant College men’s and women’s basketball teams chose to take a knee during the singing of the National Anthem before the start of their home basketball games on Tuesday.
College officials said, "At Covenant, we support the freedom of expression among our students to both stand and sing the anthem and to peacefully protest by taking a knee during the anthem."
President Derek Halvorson said, “Wherever our default sensitivities lie, we—as Christians—ought to be ready and willing to empathize with those who sense grave injustice in our world and who seek means to bring that injustice to our attention, even while we honor the sacrifice made by so many for the sake of our freedoms.
"We are at liberty to have differing opinions on which is the right course of action in this instance, but we are not at liberty not to love our brothers and sisters, regardless of which side of the issue they're on.”
Officials with the college said, "The college has come alongside the student body through open forums and many one-on-one conversations in an effort to walk with students as they wrestle with issues of injustice and protest, and strive toward thoughtful disagreement. The college will continue to provide opportunities for students to participate in meaningful discussions and occasions to dialogue with Christian leaders both in and outside of the Covenant community about these complex gospel issues."