The Badge - A Cross to Carry

The call to be a police officer brings with it the burden of seeing the terrible darkness that exists in this world. We see first hand what greed, lust, hate and twisted thinking does to drive people to commit acts of evil against others. There will times in the course of a career that you will feel like the writer of Lamentations. Forsaken in the midst of thieves and murderers sometimes brings with it a sense of dread where all of your actions are scrutinized by the media, the public and critics of all stripes. There are times that it feels like God brings us to places where we think we are forsaken. Itis as if God has left us to fend for ourselves, surrounded by adversaries.

Yet in Lamentations 3:21-26, the writer says, "But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

God is with us. He calls us to service as peace officers as Paul writes in Romans 13:1-4, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer."

As you start you day, rest on these word from Lamentations and Romans. You are not alone and your battle for justice in not in vain. In fact, our battle is not against flesh and blood. Consider Ephesians 6:12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

A number of year ago, my eldest daughter spent a semester in the UK. She got to visit many churches and monasteries where she discovered a prayer written by St. Philaret that is recited to this day by many faithful Christians in our world. Consider this prayer each day you go out to serve, even when it feels like you are forsaken and abandoned by God. It is not so. God loves and cares for you. He calls you to service and His mercies are new every morning.

O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace. Help me in all things to rely upon Your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul, and with the firm conviction that Your will governs all. In all my deeds and words guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforseen events let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering or embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of this coming day with all that it will bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, pray You Yourself in me. Amen.

Post script: St. Philaret also wrote a prayer for prisoners. You can find it at this link: Prayer of the Prisoner