A Calling - The White Stone

What is your calling? 

Consider this verse from Revelations 2: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” 

George Macdonald, a man who had a significant influence in the life of C.S. Lewis, wrote about this passage.“The giving of the white stone with the new name is the communication of what God thinks about the man to the man…The true name is one which expresses the character, the nature, the meaning of the person who bears it. It is man’s own symbol – his soul’s picture, in a word – the sign which belongs to him and no one else.” George Macdonald: An Anthology by C.S. Lewis

I think the giving of the white stone is our calling. This story is about my call to be a police officer.

I was a sophomore at Westmont College in the Spring of 1984. It was my first semester at Westmont and I was in the midst of trying to figure out what I was going to do as a career. I was a business major but did not connect with the course work. I wanted to serve others but I was at a loss trying to discover how my desire to connect with people translated to a job. This would all change in the gym at Westmont in one moment.

A theologian, Dr. Francis Schaefer, was on campus giving a series of lectures. The significance of his appearance was that he was suffering from cancer and this was likely one of his last public appearances. It turned out that he would pass away a few months later. I was curious to hear what Dr. Schaefer had to say and decided to attend his evening lecture in the college gymnasium. This was out of character for me as I was more interested in hanging out than engaging in academic life.

I was surprised to find the gym packed. The stadium bleachers were pulled out on both sides and the basketball court was filled with chairs. I took a seat on the home side of the bleachers. I remember looking out over the crowd and saw Dr. Schaefer was seated on stage. He was accompanied by his son Frankie Schaefer Jr. and it was Frankie who facilitated the lecture. It was during Frankie's comments that a defining moment happened.

Frankie was talking about living a life of faith. In the midst of his comments he said: “What we need in the United States today are more Christian police officers.”

His words rang out to me so clearly. In that moment, I knew where God was leading me. I was called. I began my journey as a police officer in 1988. June will mark 24 years in law enforcement. It was my white stone.

Reflection of a Sacrifice

The following is the reflection I shared at Monterey County Peace Officers Fallen Officer Memorial Service on Wednesday, May 7, 2008.
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I begin by reading from The Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4, Verses 18-22
The Calling of the First Disciples

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.

Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him."

As I thought about the call if these men, it occurred to me that although Peter, Andrew, James and John immediately left to go with Jesus, they did not do so simply because a man they had never met walked up to them and said “Follow me.” These were men of faith who had read scripture and were watching for the opportunity to serve.

The call to become a peace officer is not made in a moment, in response to a job flyer or commercial on television. It is a process that begins with a heart to serve others. The call means making a commitment of time, effort and sacrifice. We endure the testing process and background examinations, police academies and Field Training Officers.

We commit to work weekends, holidays and shifts. We stand at an intersection in the freezing rain with a flare pattern and our patrol car blocking a roadway with all the lights on and still have the patience to answer the question, “Is this road closed?”

We commit to stand firm in the face of every profanity and stop fighting when the other guy quits even if he got in more shots in than you. We commit to put our own life at risk to save another human being no matter who they are.

We also accept that what we do means that we may be called to lose our lives so that others will be safe. And it is not a decision we make for our selves but a sacrifice that our families live with as well.

For the ten men we remember this evening it means their wives, children, parents, brothers and sisters a will not see them again in this world. The men and women that served with them will carry the pain of the loss of a friend and a partner. Those that follow behind now live to honor a fellow peace officer who died in the line of duty.

The Book of Romans, Chapter 13, Verse 4 says of those that are called to keep the peace:

“For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”

Our call to police service means that we commit to protect the weak and hold evil at bay. We do this with the sword.

This is why our call is for very few. We must decide and act in a moment. We must understand the seriousness of our mission and what lies in the balance. We are fair yet firm, strong yet compassionate, we are brave in the face of danger when others will freeze or run away. We do this knowing that the cost might be our own lives for the benefit of our fellow man.

Please follow along as I read from the Gospel of John Chapter 15:9-19

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

On September 26, 1929, two men entered a Rodeo bank near the Town of Pinole, armed with guns. They intended to rob the $27,000 payroll delivered that morning. Constable Arthur Mac Donald was also in the bank and confronted the robbers. A gun battle erupted. Although he managed to shoot one of the suspects, a third man driving a get away car fired into the bank from outside. Constable MacDonald was shot and mortally wounded. He was taken to the hospital in an attempt to save his life.

Although his wife managed to get to the hospital before he died, she was not allowed to be with her husband even though he called to her from the treatment room.
Constable Arthur Mac Donald was my great-grandfather. My grandmother received a telegram in New York at 5:40PM that evening that read,

“YOUR FATHER KILLED THIS MORNING HOLD UP RODEO BANK”

Although I never met my great grandfather, my grandmother told me about him and how he was a committed father and husband. A great aunt told me that she was proud that a member of the family was following in his footsteps. He served as a constable for 11 years. A man later told reporters that, “Jerry was a great man and popular, but if you got out of line he’d kick you in the butt and tell you to get off the street and go home. And you would do it too.”
If it was only still that easy.

When a member of our profession is killed in the line of duty, it has a profound impact on us as we live our lives by honoring their memory through our service in law enforcement. The impact becomes even more significant when we knew that the person behind the badge and realize they were committed to family, to the community and to their faith.