Morning Prayer: Why We Kneel: The Deep Story behind a Simple Gesture
From Morning Prayer: "Let us bow down and workshop, bending the knee before the Lord. (Psalm 95:6) That simple act—bending the knee—carries a long, tangled history across the Abrahamic religions. It’s a gesture that looks humble, but it’s doing far more than showing reverence. It’s telling a story about how human beings understand God, authority, and themselves. Where Kneeling Comes From Kneeling is not originally a religious gesture. In the ancient Near East, it was a political one. To kneel was to acknowledge: Someone else has authority over you You are not self‑sufficient You are entering a relationship of trust or dependence Subjects knelt before kings. Petitioners knelt before judges. Soldiers knelt to receive orders or mercy. When Israel’s scriptures speak of kneeling before God, they are saying something radical: No earthly king deserves what God deserves. Only God receives the posture of ultimate allegiance. So yes—kneeling means reverence. But it also means loyalty ...