And then there was Sunday.

This week I attended the memorial service for Detective Sergeant Butch Baker and Detective Elizabeth Butler. Two Santa Cruz Police Officers gunned down last week by a suspect in a misdemeanor sexual assault case. 7,000 people representing countless law enforcement offices, fire departments, politicians and community members gathered at the HP Pavilion in San Jose to remember the lost, comfort the living and to be encouraged in faith.

 
Butch leaves behind a wife, two daughters and a son. He was months from retirement after serving over thirty years as a police officer. His son is just beginning his career as a Santa Cruz Police Officer and now follows in his father's footsteps. I watched this young man bury his head in his white gloved hands as a recording of a dispatcher called his dad's radio call sign three times with no response. It ended with the dispatcher broadcasting, "Detective Sergeant Loran "Butch" Baker, end of watch February 26, 2013." My heart was broken.

Elizabeth leaves behind her partner and father of their two small boys. Her five-year-old son wore his mother's police hat during the service. His father brought him to the stage and asked him if he wanted to say hi to the crowd. A small voice simply said, "Hi." My heart was broken again.

The best story of the day was about when Elizabeth got her first search warrant. Guided by a senior detective, Elizabeth wrote her probable cause for the warrant, got it reviewed by a member of the District Attorney's Office and found a judge who was willing to sign off on the document. She waited in the back of a courtroom until the judge called her into his chambers. The judge, a very thorough and serious man, read through the warrant and raised his right hand so Elizabeth could attest to the information it contained. Elizabeth, in turn, gave the judge a high five! The judge had a look of surprise and shock, the senior detective was horrified and Elizabeth stood there with a big grin on her face, pumped that the judge shared her enthusiasm and triumph!

This was, unfortunately, one of only a few moments of laughter in what I can only describe as a terrible day. The pastor officiating the service closed the memorial by commenting on how the tragedy of the past ten days is reflective of what happened on Good Friday. As Elizabeth and Butch were murdered by an evil man, so Christ was put to death on a cross by evil people who conspired and plotted against him. All innocents; all murdered; leaving us to question why bad things happen to good people. And then there was Sunday...

In the darkness of grief, loss and confusion; a light shined on Easter Sunday. Jesus Christ was resurrected. Raised from the dead, triumphing over evil. It is in this resurrection that we find hope. That all things will be renewed and loved ones lost through death will be reunited. It is in this hope that healing begins.

The service ended and three columns of law enforcement and fire personnel lined the street for blocks to say a final goodbye to Butch and Elizabeth. Taps sounded in the distance and we stood at attention as Butch and Elizabeth, the families and the entire Santa Cruz Police Department left the arena in silence. Only the sound of first responder helicopters flying over in tribute was heard.

It is my prayer that both Butch and Elizabeth will meet Jesus face to face. This time, Elizabeth will high five Jesus not because she has to take an oath, but because both Jesus and Elizabeth share the enthusiasm and triumph of conquering death and knowing peace that surpasses all understanding.

Pray with me that their families and colleagues left behind will find comfort from the loved ones that surround them and that the Holy Spirit will guide them to find peace in the midst of suffering.

"Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves." 1 Corinthians 13:7

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4

A Soldier's Story

1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."

I am truly blessed to be part of a fellowship of men who serve in the U.S. military. All are officers representing each branch of the armed services. I am amused that the same ribbing between  the police and fire professions exists between the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines (when they can keep up of course). Our group gathers every Thursday for lunch at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey to talk about a passage from scripture, to share about our journey of faith and to encourage each other as husbands and fathers. For me, it is one of the most connected fellowships of men I have ever experienced.

This blog post is about how the group began. It is a story about what happens when you ask God to grow your faith and to realize that how He answers is never exactly what you expect. This is a story about Chu. 

Matthew 7:7, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."

Chu is a man after God's heart. He reads scripture daily, is the father to two young sons and is a committed husband. He attends Shoreline Community Church weekly, sitting in the second row of the stadium seats, stage right. I spotted Chu one particular Sunday when I was singing on the worship team. He was not hard to miss as I looked out at the congregation. He is built like a linebacker and takes up three seats during worship because he extends his arms wide to receive the blessing of music. He totally engages in worship and the Holy Spirit prompted me to introduce myself and invite him to join the choir. 

Shoreline Community Church is a big congregation and it took a few weeks before I was able to move through the crowd and catch up to him. I suppose it was not very fair to my "new friend" that a stranger would walk right up to him after church, introduce himself and say, "I really think you should sing in the church choir!" Chu was understandably caught off guard. His wife was not. She began to laugh and gave him the, "So what are you waiting for?" look.

He turned me down flat.

Jonah 1:3, "But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord."

It is true that he tried to run but not before I found out that he was a student at NPS. The Holy Spirit was not going to take "no" for an answer so I went to Plan B. 

"No problem. I am starting a men's bible study at NPS and you can help me lead the group! When can we get together for lunch?"

It is important to understand that Chu was praying for God to give him an opportunity to get more involved at church. I showed up the day after he knocked on God's door. Like Jonah before him, Chu stopped resisting and agreed to be part of the group. And so what started with two guys meeting for lunch turned into a group of 12 men laughing together at the absurdities of the life, holding each other accountable and walking together as brothers in Christ.

Chu asked, God answered. I was seeking fellowship and I found Chu. Chu knocked, I opened the door.

In two months, Chu will graduate from NPS and along with him Chris, Josh, Ray and Ken. They will leave Monterey and continue their military serve throughout the world to keep us safe and to protect our freedoms. More importantly, they will go out as Christians; men of faith to shine the light in this dark world. My heart is full of sadness that our adventure of faith is going to end. I will continue to pray for them even though we will no longer join together each Thursday at high noon.

Luke 10:1-2, "After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"

What is God calling you to do? Who is he prompting you to reach out to and fellowship with?

The Second Mile

Everyone has a detractor; a person who works to undermine your efforts. It might be a peer who gossips about you. Bosses who use their influence to impact your career negatively. A partner who takes credit for your work or manipulates circumstances to make you look like the problem. The Bible is filled with stories of people (and groups of people) who stood against men and women of faith.

Ezra (Chapters 3 and 4) chronicles the effort by the Nation of Israel to rebuild the temple of God following the Babylonian captivity. They had a great start and at moment they placed the final stone in the foundation; God’s people made such a loud, joyful noise that is could be heard for miles. Others living in the region were not so joyful. In fact, they went out of their way to make Israel stop the project from completion. “Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.” (Ezra 4:4-5) They managed to delay the project for 16 years!

Consider Joseph (Genesis 38, 39-41), a man blessed by God and yet sold into slavery by his brothers, accused of sexual assault by Pharaoh’s wife, and left to rot in prison. Joseph would sit in custody for years and yet, in spite of the jealousy and scheming of many, he would later be the number 2 man in Egypt. He would use his management skills to save Egypt, his family and the people of Israel from famine.

Many years ago, I worked for a supervisor who micromanaged and challenged every decision I made. He spun everything to his advantage. If there was a success, it was due to his leadership and skill. If there was a failure, it was someone else’s fault. He was politically savvy and willing to act in his own best interest regardless of how it impacted his rivals or subordinates. The best option for me was to be out of the office but my job required me to work from a desk. To escape this king (notice the lower case k), I made a deal with a local motel owner where drug dealing and other street crimes were the norm. The owner let me set up a room as my office. I could plug into the internet via an Ethernet cable (no Wi-Fi back then) and get stuff done. Call it an early version of a sub-station. I got a place to work in peace and he had a cop car in his parking lot. Criminal activity slowed down in the neighborhood…imagine that.

One toxic leader or co-worker can devastate individuals and teams. The higher they go in an organization, the more negatively that will impact a workplace. It becomes difficult to be positive, to work hard and to do your job when there is little appreciation for what you do. There were times in my professional life when I figured out what I made a minute and watched a clock as a method to cope with a toxic workplace. And yet…

It occurred to me one day that God might be calling me to be that last hope for a toxic co-worker to experience forgiveness and mercy. Jesus makes this crystal clear in Matthew 5:38-42, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

These are very difficult words when the “enemy” is in the next cubicle. A thorn in your side that you interact with 40 hours a week, 160 hours a month, 2,080 hours a year (give or take vacation, sick or holiday time off). God called Moses to stand before Pharaoh, Paul before the Sanhedrin and you before a toxic person at work. One axiom my father always reminded me of when I was frustrated was this, “Your employer owes you a paycheck; you owe your employer a good day’s work.”

If you are in a tough working environment consider this: Your employer owes you a paycheck; you owe your employer a grace day’s work. What is a grace day’s work? It means to do your job not only to exceed the standards and expectations of your position but to do your job beyond what is expected or anticipated even when it’s “just not fair”. It is to be patient and kind; to not be envious; to eliminate pride and boasting about your work; not to be angry or keep a record of wrongs; to protect; to trust; to hope. In this way, you will be a testimony of the grace God gave to you when He died on the cross and for you to become a light in this dark world. It may be that it is your work testimony that leads your boss to salvation.

My God bless you in this New Year and may He show you the wonders of His creation in your workplace.

Keep the Merry, Dump the Myth

Each year around Christmas, people who do not believe that Christ is the Son of God spend money on advertizing denying the birth of Christ the Savior. This year is no exception as this bill board is up in New York’s Times Square. I do find it ironic the American Atheists use a Saint as a symbol of their unbelief! The fact is that people began dismissing Jesus’ authority as the Christ 2,000 years ago.  

Matthew 13: 54-59, “Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.’ And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”  

Christmas offers a great opportunity to share what you believe beyond the presents, the tree and the eggnog. Throughout the Book of Acts, the Disciples of Christ shared their faith with kings, priests, lawyers and politicians. They did not mince words or tell people what they wanted to hear. They were guided by the Holy Spirit and spoke the truth of the Scriptures. Consider Philip, who shared the Gospel with an Ethiopian official returning from a faith sojourn (Acts 8); or Stephen, who spoke before the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Israelites (Acts 7) and finally, Paul explaining grace to kings and their courts (Acts 25). 1 Peter 3:13 says that we should, “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” I was called to give an answer to someone that I never believed gave a thought about matters of faith. 

When police officers work with partners, it is generally as part of a specialized team like detectives or special enforcement unit. One of my first partners was one of the best cops I ever worked with and yet as abrasive as an insult comic. I worked with Jim for over a year. He was an old school, street cop. If he was a journeyman officer, I was the apprentice. I can say that I learned the craft of policing from Jim. However, beyond the street cop expertise, Jim was difficult to be around. He was brash and irreverent. He was more likely to tell you to jump off a cliff (using very different words) than to show compassion. He exploited any weakness or shortcoming for his personal amusement. You did not want to be the target of his course jesting. There were some long days riding around in the police car together. When it came to faith, Jim relied on himself. He knew I was a believer and if the subject came up at all, it was usually because Jim was giving me a hard time. 

One December night, we were driving in downtown Santa Barbara and drove past the Paradise Bookstore. Jim turned on a side street and parked. He didn’t say a word but left me sitting in the passenger seat and went into the business. I waited a few minutes, got irritated that he was shopping and followed him into the store. I found Jim standing in the checkout line holding a set of books titled The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Now this was weird. C.S. Lewis is considered one of the most accomplished Christian writers of the 20th Century. The Chronicles of Narnia is a children’s series of seven books that centers on the character of Aslan the Lion. Aslan is representative of Jesus Christ. What would Jim be doing buying this particular set of books? 

I walked up and stood next to Jim and commented, “So you are buying The Chronicles of Narnia?” 

“Yeah, so.” 

“Well, The Chronicles of Narnia is a Christian allegory. If you read those books, you might become a Christian.”

Since we were in the checkout line of a crowded bookstore, Jim told me what he thought under his breath and I left the store smiling. It was not very often I got one over on Jim. We got back in the car and resumed patrolling the streets. After a few minutes, Jim says, “So what is Christianity all about anyway?” 

I was stunned. Here was a guy who went out of his way to ridicule and demean me almost daily. He was now asking me about what I believed. I thought for a moment about how to respond. Ok, fine. I figured that he would let me have it when I was done so I would hold nothing back. 

“You want to know what Christianity is all about Jim? Here it is…” 

I started with Adam and Eve and talked about the fall of man. I talked about the consequences of sin and how we are separated from God. I told him about Israel, the Exodus, the Ten Commandments, the prophets, the birth of Jesus. I described the crucifixion and the meaning of this final sacrifice. He listened to story of the resurrection and the meaning of grace. I ended by telling him that we all have a choice and that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We will all be judged and without salvation we risk going to hell. I held nothing back and presented Christianity from a cop’s perspective: Who, What, When, Where, Why, How. I stopped talking and waited. 

After a few moments Jim said, “I haven’t done anything wrong.”  

I said in a matter of fact tone, “Yes you have,” reminding him of something he did do wrong. Something few people knew about, but it was known nonetheless. He knew it too. It got quiet in the car after that. We never spoke again about faith. He would continue to be crass and rude in the days that followed, but there was a change in that Jim stopped mocking me for what I believed.