Bow the Knee
Since at least the 15th century, tea and the ritual of the Japanese ceremony have been an integral part of not only the culture of Japan, but the political machinations of emperors, warriors, and business tycoons. Kristin Surtak, a professor of Japanese politics, says the tea ceremony is presented as a place of equality. It is said to be about wa, kei, sei, and jaku, which are harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility - concepts believed to be understood by anyone from any culture.
In the early twentieth century, the Japanese tea ceremony became essential to trade negotiations and growing business relationships. While the ceremony remained ornate with the beauty and fragility of the elements used to convey wealth and power, the process was intended to invoke humility. It is said that magnates like J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller actually knelt and served themselves, as required by the ceremony. Kneeling and serving oneself signals that everyone in the room is on the same level. Being on one’s knees can be vulnerable, uncomfortable, and intimidating unless everyone else is on their knees too.
At the House, we discuss the importance of humility, and everyone strives to model it. We are intentional about facilitating situations where everyone is on the same “level.” Affluent white women from East Memphis pull weeds in our gardens beside Black women from Orange Mound. Volunteers peel and place branded stickers on shiny foil packages alongside the ladies who are doing the same to earn a paycheck. Employees sit on our board of directors, participate in discussions, and vote on proposals.
We’re not naïve. We understand that some bank accounts have more in them than others. We know that affluency, education, and even race sometimes come with advantages. We know some have traveled the world while others have barely left the boundaries of their neighborhoods. We know that some have access to the best doctors and treatments for illnesses while others lack a primary care physician. And we recognize that culture often equates human worth to net worth.
Yet, there is one place where we know that there is not one iota of difference between us.
On our knees in prayer.
It’s not very often that anyone physically gets on their knees at the House. Some of us would struggle to get up again. When we are in prayer together though, which is daily, we are on our knees in our hearts. Like the tycoons of the tea ceremony, we are vulnerable, maybe a little uncomfortable, and not intimidated because we are all on the same level before God.
And it is during these times that we see clearly that the emotions of grief, loss, fear, anxiety, inferiority, disappointment, frustration, anger, and the like live in every zip code, every neighborhood, every street, every home, and every heart. From this, unlike the participants in the tea ceremony, we don’t serve ourselves but seek to serve others.
“Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” – Acts 10:34-35