The Hub, Mar. 13, 2019
Police officers in Fredericksburg still feel pain from the relatively recent murder of a friend while on duty. Officers and their families continue to experience repercussions and pressures from past and present systemic problems related to policing here as well in other communities far away. Dealing disproportionately with evil in society, officers everywhere need to be on guard that they aren’t overcome by that evil.
That’s where chaplains come in. They meet the officers where they are, walk with them and their families through the darkness, and seek to help them stay healthy and whole. Doing so, officers will hopefully experience a more abundant life, but it also helps them become healthier servants to all.
Considering my past experiences and training, Chief David Nye [of the Fredericksburg (VA) Police Department] recently asked me if I would be willing to serve our local law enforcement community as a chaplain, and I wholeheartedly agreed.
What does this mean for our congregation? I will be serving our police department’s officers, staff and families seeking to build resiliency and facilitate hope and healing when crises come. Yet, I will also be seeking to serve victims of crime, those recently arrested, people in need of all kinds of services, and everyone I meet.
It’s just another way to live into the beatitudes, to love even some who may now be our enemies, and to help establish peace and justice on earth. Through the Spirit, we are one. You will also be with me as I serve. This is an opportunity to make new and exciting connections in our community as we seek to love our neighbors and our God in new, expansive ways. Please pray for the success of this outreach and the safety of all.
Originally published in The Hub, a weekly email of Christ Lutheran Church, Fredericksburg, VA.
© 2019 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.
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