Category Archives: Law Enforcement

June 14, 2014 · 5:31 pm

Life Work

National Law Enforcement MemorialMany social scientists call the work of emergency responders and others in the medical field “death work.” This applies to the law enforcement community for many reasons. We certainly deal with a great deal of violence and death, but we also face it head on.

As the recent Law Enforcement Memorial Day reminds us, some within our calling will pay the ultimate price. Indeed, I never really stop thinking about my three coworkers[1] that died over the six years I was a police officer. They and other heroes who I never had the honor to know have somehow become a part of me.

Reflecting upon such loss, I believe the term “death work” proves quite the misnomer. For as the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial reminds us, “It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they lived.” Their legacy continues to challenge, inspire and shape our service to the community whether still active in law enforcement or retired from it. When I meet current law enforcement officers, I think of the important “life work” they do without often realizing it – whether finding a lost autistic child, helping a domestic violence victim, comforting those experiencing loss or without hope, or seeking justice in a world that is too often unfair.

I remember a police officer in the town I grew up in who planted positive seeds in my life (a somewhat delinquent one at the time) just through conversation and simple kindness. I recall the valor of those who so rightly earned awards for heroic deeds. I recall as well the kindness of other officers done without fanfare as they provided diapers for young families without or shared their own lunch with the homeless. I have seen those arrested for acts that were quite inhumane, and yet they were treated with human dignity by the officers they claimed as enemies.

These kinds of experiences taught me that the vocation that is shared by law enforcement officers is a sacred one, a holy summons to nurture life and shed light in what can seem a dark world. The long shifts, the thankless tasks, the time away from family and friends are very real costs, but it isn’t without benefit or meaning. It is a death to oneself and one’s desires so that others might live. It is life giving work embodying the truth of Jesus’ words, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).

Law enforcement is often a difficult life, but it is a life worth living and sharing with others.

[1] Two died in the line of duty and are listed at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. A third died from an unknown congenital heart condition at home following a foot pursuit earlier that evening. A fourth died years later from medical complications after being shot while apprehending robbery suspects.

Originally written for the newsletter of the Hanover County (VA) Sheriff’s Office. 

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation. This post was first published in The Messenger, the newsletter of Messiah Lutheran Church (June 2014). 

© 2014 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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April 16, 2013 · 4:32 pm

Faithful responses to emergency

Boston Marathon bombing aftermath

Boston Marathon bombing aftermath

Although not traditional first responders, pastors and other ministry leaders prove an integral part of the response to any emergency. What they choose to do or not do impacts the entire community as people seek to deal with the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aftermath. I hope pastors, other ministers and church leaders might consider and discuss the following points for their benefit and the benefit of those they serve.

When it comes to facing evil, sin and death, I don’t think anyone can ever be an expert. The context of any situation and the needs of those affected vary. Our own resiliency and competencies change. I don’t think there can be a single, perfect response when we and our world are so imperfect.

The following comments are not meant to reflect expertise or suggest a perfect response, but they do reflect some things I have learned along my way as a former police officer and hospice chaplain. Currently, I serve as a volunteer law enforcement chaplain,[i] yet I am still learning. At the same time, I desire to learn from your comments and feedback based upon your own experiences and training. Please share them privately with me or in the comments section below.

Regarding unexpected emergencies and disasters:

1. Stay calm and listen: Listen to local media for instructions from emergency officials. As you listen, recognize that there exists a great deal of confusion. As the media and individual politicians seek to get information out quickly, the result is often many false reports and much bad information. Not unlike gossip, avoid passing this on or instinctually reacting to it as if true. Wait for official statements of first responders, disaster organizations, and government officials actually in charge of rescue operations and response. Even though these too can err, they remain your best sources for information to inform your own response and pass on. Try to listen to or watch any and all official press conferences. Prior to emergencies, consider following your local first responders, aid organizations, and local government, state and federal entities (especially departments of emergency management at the county and state level) on Twitter and Facebook. If they offer texts in emergencies, sign up for that service.

2. Observe and report: Before, during, and after an unexpected emergency don’t call 911 unless an emergency. Store your local first responder’s non-emergency numbers in your cell phone and address books prior to your need for them. These can be used in cases where there is no immediate or confirmed threat, leaving emergency lines open for those who really need them. Report all suspicious activity, as any info can be helpful. Let those in charge decide what is important. If community truly is a response to a common call, we must all seek to serve and protect those entrusted to us, our neighbors.

3. Avoid phone use in and to affected areas. Don’t overload the system with needless calls. No matter how concerned you are for a loved one, your call may inhibit first responder’s response to those in need and their use of communication assets. (In Boston, the media suggested officials had turned off cell service. It is more likely local service was overwhelmed as with past terrorist activity.) Remember also, cellular signals can inadvertently cause detonations of explosive devices and fumes. If you are in the immediate area of the emergency, follow the directions of emergency personal. Wait on calls until in a safe place or longer if possible. Even once in a safe place, Twitter and Facebook might be the best way to communicate. You might reach many more people at once.

After a recent earthquake, people could not reach our preschool as phone systems were overwhelmed. Through Twitter (including an automatic feed to our website) and Facebook, we were able to advise that everyone was safe, thus removing the need for calls to our location. After a hurricane, we were able to easily pass on information about emergency services and resources (such as ice, food and water) to those without regular phone service or power. Most people were still connected to the internet and social media through charging mobile phones in their cars.

4. Stay in a safe place. Don’t clog roads with needless travel or get in way of first responders. If they or aid agencies need help, they will ask for it. They will direct you to a staging area or advise of materials needed and collection points. Even in weather emergencies, don’t assume because you can get to your church people should be on the roads. Emergency responders and utilities will be slowed and unnecessarily taxed by accidents resulting from people thinking the roads are safe when they aren’t. Signals out at intersections can be as dangerous as downed trees, power lines and flooding. PLEASE follow the directives of your local and state governments. If they ask people to stay off the roads, don’t hold services or events. More traffic means more risk for emergency responders, transportation employees, and utility workers. Traffic related accidents is among the biggest killer for these publiuc servants. Sadly, businesses tend to ignore such directives, but I think they do so selfishly. Faith communities should and can do better.

5. Pray, comment and act wisely. As leaders in the community, the concept of being a non-anxious presence remains valid. While recognizing your own emotions and limits, it will not be the best time to share them openly and unfiltered on Facebook, Twitter or in person. Again, don’t add to the gossip and sharing of bad information. People will react to your own modeling of behaviors and attitudes, so seek to be prudent, loving and faithful.

If responding to an act of violence or terror, it is biblically sound to speak of the need to avoid scapegoating. Yet in speaking of love, peace, reconcilliation and forgiveness, let’s not forget the great challenges of those who might be called to a vocation where they must manage and use violence. They do so in order to serve and protect others. At their best, they are seeking to establish Christ’s justice and peace in the world, defend and protect the week, and love their neighbor – even their enemies at times. Choose your words wisely.

Unless you consider the Christian call one of pure pacifism, or you feel pacisifism a higher call, I would argue theirs can and should be deemed a holy vocation. Speaking solely of turning the other cheek and ignoring the real needs of police and others tasked to defend us serves to isolate them and can add to their immediate and long-term burden. As well, families and friends of victims might not be able to see past their anger yet, and anger can indeed be a justified, healthy response as long as we don’t get stuck in it or sin in our anger. Inadvertently, our words can wound their spirit and have long term, unintended consequnces upon recovery. I suggest that as we pray for love and forgiveness we might also pray for God’s justice and peace be achieved by those called to that task in our fallen world[ii]. We all need guidance in how to respond to and deal with such events. Let’s not forget the military, first responders, and victim families and the emotional, ethical turmoil they face.

Running down to the place of the emergency might be your gut instinct, but consider that you might get in the way or put yourself needlessly at risk. As you were likely urged a sa child, “Walk, don’t run.” You might not know all the threats and hurried responses can turn into accidents and error. Try to contact those in charge of a response before you act and seek their direction. (This might require your patience until things are under better control.)

In seeking to respond to the emergency, not everyone need put themselves in danger. Those outside the immediate area affected need ministry too. As Martin Luther suggested in Whether one may flee from a deadly plague (1527)[iii], don’t be too quick to become a martyr (or, I would add, a person in need of rescue). Considering individual gifts and the availability of others should impact any decision about who and how many should respond to any event. Again, listen to local authorities. Making preparations beforehand through emergency responders, relief agencies, and local ministeriums will prove helpful. As a volunteer fire-fighter (and pastor) told me, don’t be a hero. Instead, seek to work as a team rather than as a lone wolf. It will tend to make everyone safer.

6. Seek to be prepared. Before any emergency, I suggest you receive training and familiarize yourself with assets and their procedures beforehand. Volunteer for citizen police academies. Participate in emergency drills offered by fire and rescue. Train all staff in first aid and CPR. Connect with and get training from nonprofits and government entities that respond to emergencies before incidents happen. Join the other faith communities in FEMA’s National Preparedness Coalition: http://www.ready.gov. Make emergency plans for your institution. Examples are widely available from government and non-government entitities on the web. Along with joining FEMA’s National Preparedness Coalition, some churches and faith-based organizations might benefit from contacting the FEMA Voluntary Agency and Donations Coordination Section. Let others know about the American Red Cross’ Safe and Well Program and other nonprofit or government offerings to help prepare for and deal with disasters.

7. Do not be afraid. Yes, fear is a normal, God-given human response to help preserve life, but we shouldn’t let it be the primary control of our response no more than anger. Despite fear, sometimes we are called to act in love.

The world can be a dangerous place and people can prove frightening. As a police officer, I learned the hard way that despite all the evil I saw in person and in the often disproportionate media reporting, God was, is and will be still at work for our welfare – often through ordinary people with little fanfare. I needed to keep my eyes and heart open to those signs of hope, or I would become what I hated. Even during emergencies, striving for self-care to the best of your abilities will help us be open to the work of God before us and around us. Be honest about our limitations. Admit if you need help. Such behaviors will help us love others better in the long run and see God and the world more clearly.

When God seems hidden, it is all the more reason to hold on to Christ’s promises. He is there in the chaos! Let us cast all our cares upon Christ[iv] and seek to do whatever we as individuals and a community are called to do. Jesus is with us, and we might be in this place, time and circumstance so that he can be glorified through us. His body, the church, needs to be present at exactly such scary, dangerous times. As I headed out each night for duty, I chose to intentionally remember the promises of Romans 8; nothing not even death will separate us from the love of God[v]. More than comfort, it strengthened me for the shift ahead.

In the face of evil, sin and death, we need only seek to respond in faith, hope and love to the best of our imperfect abilities. Beyond that, Jesus has our back. So as Elliott Ness said in The Untouchables, “Alright now, let’s do some good.”[vi] No matter the odds against us, love will win the day. Do not be afraid. Act wisely in faith, hope and love.

In Virginia, consider following these agencies on Twitter, find them on Facebook and the web:
Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)  @fema
Centers for Disease Control @CDCemergency, @CDCgov and more
Virginia Department of Emergency Management @VDEM
Your local Red Cross, for example @RedCrossRVA
Virginia Department of Health @MyVDH
Virginia Department of Transportation @VaDOT
Official local, state, and federal exective branch leadership & agencies
Local, state, and federal law enforcement serving your area
Public utilities serving your area
Your denominational or other faith tradition resources for disaster response

[ii] You might like to read Martin Luther’s pamphlet, On whether soldiers too can be saved? As a police officer, I found it helpful in dealing with the evil I faced and shaping how I should respond.

[vi] The Untouchables (1987). Paramount.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version.

© 2013 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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March 8, 2013 · 8:30 pm

In those desert times

The Judean desert from Jerusalem the Movie (expected in 2013)

The Judean desert from Jerusalem the Movie (expected in 2013)

“From early Biblical times to the Middle Ages to the Present, the rugged, isolated beauty of the Judean Desert (Midbar Yehuda) has long attracted those seeking refuge, solitude or spiritual inspiration. According to the Bible, the prophet, Elijah, King David, John the Baptist, and Jesus all spent time here. Herod the Great built two fortresses here, Herodium and Massada, and during the Byzantine period (6th century A.D.), magnificent monasteries were built into its cliffs and rock crevices. Bordered by the Judean Mountains to the West and the Dead Sea to the East, the Desert’s 1,500 km landscape features canyons up to 500 meters deep and cliffs up to 300 meters high. Arid hills and valleys are contrasted with ancient springs that create oases such as Nahal Arugot, Nahal Prat, and Nahal David. It’s no wonder that this breathtaking, harsh and often surprising place has held the attention of so many for so long.” – as posted by Jerusalem the Movie on Facebook, March 8, 2013

Coming across the above picture of the Judean desert got me thinking…

As we walk these forty days of Lent, we remember the forty years that the Jewish people wandered in the desert due to their wandering hearts, as well as Jesus’ own forty days there fasting. As the note with this striking picture attests, the desert has often been a fruitful place for the people of God. Sadly, we need not travel far to find desert times in our lives. This can be so even when we practice “proper disciplines” and actively seek out God. Even in France, Br. Roger often compared the beautiful community, ministry and village of Taize’ to a desert, for no matter where we are, we can feel at times parched and long for the water of God.

I entered such a time once again this past week. Already tired from a new ailment recently diagnosed, I had two members of my congregation die within two days. During that same time, my mother called in tears to let me know my aunt had died. My mother’s melancholy increased as she came to realize she is the last of her generation in our family. My own grief grew as I realized that I couldn’t respond to New England to support her and my cousins due to my illness. Just when I thought I had had enough, I heard more tragic news – a member of my former police department had been shot during a traffic stop.

I remember well how such incidents tear at the heart of the entire police community. In fact while already grieving the present, I found myself thrust back in time to attend to other wounds now reopened. My soul cried out for my friends and the entire agency. I wondered, “Is it someone I knew?” I grieved anew the losses I remembered while serving with the Alexandria Police Department and elsewehere. I felt sad. I felt physically sick. I felt terribly and utterly alone in those moments.

Throughout the day, I prayed. I watched and wandered through my day. Yet, God seemed far away. Words of friends and family didn’t (couldn’t?) fully console me, and I longed for my hidden God. Yet all the while, many long past experiences reminded me of God’s faithfulness. Amidst the darkness, I clung to the light and love experienced in those times and the written promise of the steadfast love of God in scripture like a life preserver.

As the Bible assures us and Martin Luther reminded us, don’t trust our eyes, reason, or feelings. Trust Jesus. Hold onto him trusting that he will prove true to his promise that he holds on to us, guides us, and love us – always. As one of my favorite fictional crime fighters, Cadfael (a medieval monk and Sherlock Holmes rolled into one), was prone to say, “Sleep well, for God is awake.” Yes, even when we haven’t the strength to raise our heads, God looks kindly upon us. Life may still prove hard at times, but God’s love proves everlasting.

Since that day, I have been thinking a lot about my wandering, human heart. I am grateful that the officer shot is recovering. I am grateful for the spouse, family, friends, and congregation that joined me in prayer and waiting. I am thankful for the God who once again reminded me during a time of desert that our wanderings will come to an end, and healing will be ours.

Yet, another officer has been shot in Virginia and died; this time a Virginia State Trooper. Others in my congregation have faced new losses, and because I love them, I suffer with them. Still I hold on and wait, for to whom else can I go? Why should I hide? Instead, I’ll seek to serve, and worship, and love while I wander, for I’m called to live. I will find life within Christ’s community the church. I’ll seek to share hope and life outside of it. This desert time will end, for Jesus has already spoken the words of eternal life. Amidst the savage beauty of our desert wilderness, I trust we’ll discover the wonderous truth that Jesus never lies.

Through Isaiah, we hear God promise that our desert time can only lead to new life. Let’s, together, seek to remember these words as we walk on:

“The poor and needy search for water, but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the Lord will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.
I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.
I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive.
I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together,
so that people may see and know, may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” (from Isaiah 41)

Indeed, and the Holy One has created us as well. His hands will never let us go.

This is a trying time for all those in Virginia’s law enforcement community. Please keep all of them and their families in your prayers. If you would like to learn how you can better support law enforcement in your community during times of death and beyond, consider visiting and supporting:
Concerns of Police Survivors
National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund
International Conference of Police Chaplains
or, contact your local police agency to volunteer.

If you would like to help the Laboy family, you can drop off a donation at the Alexandria Police Department, 3600 Wheeler Avenue  Alexandria, VA 22304 or send a donation to:
Alexandria Police Association
c/o Peter Laboy
P.O. Box 1228
Alexandria, VA 22313

The Alexandria Police Association has also established a PayPal account for those who wish to give by debit or credit card.

If you wish to make a monetary donation to honor the memory of Trooper Walker, the Walker Family is asking you to make them to the Virginia State Police Association Emergency Relief Fund.

Thanks to Jerusalem the Movie for allowing me to use their photo. They remain in sole control of its use. The movie is due for worldwide release in 2013. Visit their website, follow them on Twitter or Facebook, and be sure to see it when released!

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2013 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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December 8, 2012 · 6:56 pm

Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT), 2012 Christmas Gathering

Click on the picture to learn more about the Henrico County Police SALT Program - Used under fair use for teaching - (C) 1996- 2012 Henrico County

Click on the picture to learn more about the Henrico County Police SALT Program – Used under fair use for teaching –      (C) 1996- 2012 Henrico County

On December 4th, I was invited to speak to the members of Henrico County Police Department’s Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) program. The SALT program seeks to empower seniors to be aware of and address crime problems they commonly face, as well as invites them to volunteer for the agency. This following is my prepared text:

When asked to speak this morning about my transition from law enforcement to being a pastor, I was hesitant. I am not too excited about talking about myself, and I am not sure how much it would interest you. So rather than just speaking on that issue, I wish to consider my journey in light of our shared call to community service. How do our own sacred life stories – and they are all sacred whether you realize it or not in my view – intersect with passions, interests, gifts, and ultimately our call or vocation?

The word vocation – at its root – indicates a mingling with the sacred…our purpose in life. It comes from the Latin root vocātiō, meaning a call or summons and inferring a higher power’s involvement. Now, vocations can and do indeed change during periods of our life just as mine did. We are much more than what we do, but I believe we all share a purpose to love God and our neighbor as ourselves in whatever we do.  At every moment of our lives, even facing death, God can use those moments to bless us and others.

So using my own story to begin this reflection, we begin in my younger years. I was part of a family with some serious problems – as many families have problems – and amidst those problems rooted in generational bouts of alcoholism and mental illness, there indeed was love; at least as well as people could love at the time with their own woundedness. Now my parents provided and cared for me very well in many respects, but the systemic problems we faced often distracted them and sometimes caused people in my family to make even more poor choices. As is often the case as a teen in such situations, I found myself dabbling in things that I had no business in. Most people had no idea, including my parents. Indeed at one point, I did find myself in juvenile court over a serious auto accident. Looking back, I realize I could have spiraled much lower. Yet when some parents had written me off as a trouble maker, others did not.

In one instance, I was being driven with a friend to an event by his mother. She began to talk about how good we were and unlike that boy who got into trouble. The only problem remained that unknown to her I was that boy. Yet, others did see past my problems to possibilities. Another friend’s father, a volunteer with a youth ministry, reached out to me, and he got me involved. At my workplace (a local 8,000 seat arena), a police officer always found time to talk to me, ask about my grades and my future plans. At school, one English teacher treated me with respect and helped me learn to begin to respect myself more. He challenged me to look at the world and myself through new eyes and with imagination.

Such interactions made a difference. I am sure these folks might not have known it at the time. They might not even remember me, but one never knows what kind word or ethical action observed might plant a seed. And seeds were planted. In time, I came to want to serve others, and attended the Virginia Military Institute, and after a short time on active duty for training as an Army Reserve officer, I transitioned into my own police career at the City of Alexandria Police.

Now at the time, crack was hitting cities hard. The metro-DC area news had body counts each day, and as I graduated from the academy, one of our officers, Corporal Charles Hill, was murdered in a drug related hostage situation. It was a wild time, and I grew up a lot. A sense of idealism was difficult to maintain with some of the things I saw and experienced. Yet again, thanks to friends, I was invited to participate in a loving church family and volunteer in some outside service activities: shop with a cop, bicycle helmet drives, other things of that nature, but also as an adult volunteer with a campus ministry at what is now the University of Mary Washington. Already, I had noticed a gift for working with youth from the housing projects during my midnight shift, but this volunteering really helped broaden and mature my view of the world, myself, and even God.

You probably already recognize that law enforcement officers face a disproportionate amount of evil on a daily basis. They see and experience what John Calvin would describe as humanity’s depraved nature or what Martin Luther would consider examples of the human tendency to be bent inward upon oneself (in other words selfish, and therefore not loving of God and neighbor as we should be). For some, this turns the officer into a fountain of cynicism. For others, they see humanity for what they are – not always the best they can be – but they recognize more is going on in the world. Goodness is still at work, and so in the face of evil and tragedy, they dedicate their hearts to make a difference. I witnessed this as fellow officers raised funds during the shift from other officers for a homeless couple who needed diapers for their baby. I saw it as people I knew volunteered with service projects in the community unrelated to policing; one even volunteering with a jail ministry.

This wasn’t naïve idealism. There were victory and losses to be sure, but the call to make a difference kept them trying. Hope kept them oriented on what could be rather than just settling. Like many of them, I found in volunteering that I got more than I gave. Working with the college students I rediscovered a more positive, hopeful way to look at the world and others even as I mentored them. I also found my faith in God grow stronger.

Eventually, I began to wonder if God was calling me to something else…something else not better mind you….just different. Through connections, I was eventually invited to spend some time volunteering and discerning with an international, ecumenical group that works with young adults in France called Taizé. So, I took my leave of law enforcement to test the waters of full time ministry. Although I didn’t stay with this ministry, I found my law enforcement and personal background and experience fit well with what they did. It helped me relate to young adults, many with troubled pasts or coming from violent areas throughout the world. As one brother told me, “We have similar hearts.”  Yet, I felt a strong pull to come back to the United States to use the gifts I had been identifying perhaps more fully.

My first weekend home, I attended my parent’s Roman Catholic Church, and coincidentally a bishop from South Dakota was thee seeking funds and/or volunteers. I had mentioned to my parents of my possibly seeking a mission stint in Eastern Europe, South America or Native Americans (areas of interest and places I had met friends from in France), so I went and spoke to the bishop, now Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia. This “chance” meeting resulted in an invitation to have my resume past around state of South Dakota, and I found a new home and call at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

St. Joseph’s Indian School is a residential school serving at risk Native Youth from elementary age through high school, and recently into college aged young adults. I was to live as a house parent among the high school students, serving as the father figure, mentoring counseling, helping with homework and driving kids to places – most anything any parent would do. Yet once again, my past experiences helped me in the present.

Most of these kids were from among the poorest and most addicted places in America, where violence and sex crimes against children are much too common, and gangs have a strong foothold. We had kids that lived in home without heat in a place where -35 degrees could be the high for the day, or perhaps they had no toilet, or maybe they had no home at all and bounced from house to house as people became willing to take them in. At least one I worked with had all his possession including clothes fitting in a small brown paper grocery bag. It was a tough place, isolated and with extreme weather.

Many new employees quite, but I found that the kids responded well to me. My police work helped me meet them as they were, without shock or pity. I could understand what they would share with me without needing to ask what they would think of as stupid questions, and I respected them as my own mentors respected me. I understood that as messed up as their families might be, it was still there family, and that amidst all the violence and trouble, their culture and they themselves had much to offer me. In fact, the logo of the school reflects a truth I already mentioned. We often get more than we receive when we volunteer and serve others. The tag line for the logo was “We give and teach. We receive and learn.” Students and staff mutually benefited and grew from this relationship with one another.

After three and one half years, I had completed my initial commitment. I returned to Virginia to attend seminary. I entered a special dual program where I earned a Master of Divinity degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary and an MS from Virginia Commonwealth University. My thesis focus was upon how faith and mentoring can help mitigate delinquency, but this experience again brought home to me the reality that law enforcement for me was and remained a real ministry. It has continued to help me as I served in hospice chaplaincy and now in the parish. I am realistic about the challenges we face, but I am hopefully about the God we share. I maintain my foothold in the policing community as a chaplain for law enforcement, and I find my law enforcement experiences always helpful in the midst of the ordinary lives of people I serve – lives that often face significant troubles.

In law enforcement, we face sin and death head on. We seek to shine light in the darkness, restore family relationships, and bring justice to the community. We can find ourselves counseling or comforting a wayward teen, grieving family member or victim of violence at any time. In doing so, we have an opportunity to live out what Jesus said was the summary of all the law and the prophets, loving God with all we are and our neighbor as ourselves – even sometimes unto death.

As volunteers, you might not recognize the good you do, nor the eternal Good that works through you. Paperwork, small unrecognized tasks, or even a friendly, sincere hello might not seem like much, but one never knows what God might use to make the world and our community a better place and encourage others. Seeds can be planted through relationship. These small acts of love can free up others to love in some pretty difficult circumstances, so I argue your volunteering with the Henrico County Police Department has significant and eternal value. It is part of your vocational, sacred call in the present. Through this call, you have the opportunity to be a blessing to others and the community.

My experiences over the years has affirmed for me that we need to be united – faith communities, secular organizations, police agencies, and individuals – in bearing hope and love into our communities. It is a hope and love that I personally believe first came to us in a small town called Bethlehem long ago. A hope no one expected, an act of love that seemed so small, and yet it is a hope and love that remains with us and can work through us even on the darkest day.

In closing, I thank you again for your invitation and for your willingness to love. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy new year.

© 2012 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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November 21, 2012 · 3:22 pm

A belated thanksgiving…

On October 18, 2012, I experienced one of the highlights of my life – literally and figuratively. I went Over the Edge of a 25 story skyscraper in downtown Richmond for Special Olympics Virginia. Thanks to the wonderful staff and volunteers of the Over the Edge event. We had clear skies, lots of great fellowship, and super fun. Best of all, we broke some overall giving records for the event. Many more Special Olympians will benefit as a result.

Also, thanks to all those who helped me achieve the rank of top individual fundraiser and establish a new record for any individual participating in the event. I had signed up late due to concerns with my schedule. So when I started, I wasn’t sure that I could raise the $1000 minimum required to rappel. You certainly taught me a thing or two about faith. To think we raised $6000 in only four weeks is humbling to me. Yet both I and the event staff well exceeded our goals. Over $120,000 was contributed overall which well exceeded the $100,000 goal and established a new event record.

I would like to encourage you to do this next year (or as soon as you can make it happen). You won’t regret it personally, and it is a great gift to our community. Perhaps you can even nominate your own community faith leader to take this leap of faith. It has been highly rewarding experience for us at Messiah Lutheran Church and School to “Push the Pastor over the Edge”, and we made many new connections and friends in our community. In addition, we have helped Special Olympics Virginia serve more than 11,000 athletes through seven regional offices and 30 area programs. If heights scare you, consider joining their network of over 20,000 volunteers. I think you will find your volunteering blesses you and others.

To add to the fun, I promised a party for our preschoolers and elementary age after school students to thank them for their support and prayers. In addition, I promised I would share some pictures and videos of the event. It took me awhile to get the time to edit and upload them all, but you can find them below.  Through the photo, you can access a complete photo gallery of the event. I also am posting a series of three YouTube videos: a birds eye view of the entire rappel from my head cam, a view from the ground as I started my descent, and my arrival back on the ground. I am afraid the video isn’t as exciting as actually doing it, but you’ll get an idea of my experience.

Due to the great fun and success of my efforts, I have told Special Olympics Virginia that I would try to recruit other pastors to participate next year.  Already, I have a few that have expressed interest, so stay tuned. If you would like to nominate your faith leader to be “pushed Over the Edge”, feel free to contact me about how I went about things, and be sure to check out the Over the Edge website.

Special thanks for supporting me and my efforts to help the intellectually disabled as well as spreading the news about this event goes to: Sheriff David Hines & the men and women of the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office; members of the Virginia Crime Clinic – Central Virginia Chapter; Hanover Adult Center & my friends in their Linking Lives Program;  Friends of L’Arche Central Virginia; the faithful servants of Lutheran Family Services of Virginia (Richmond Office); the always awesome & helpful FaithInRichmond.com, the VCU Alumni Association and my fellow alumi at VCU (Go Rams!), my BRs from the Class of 1986 and many other fellow alumni from VMI (I hope I made Coach King proud in putting my Rat Training to good use), and of course my wonderful family of faith, friends, students & staff at Messiah Lutheran Church and School in Mechanicsville, VA.

In the 1930’s, my Aunt Theresa was born with an intellectual disabilty. My grandmother told me that many of her relatives and friends encouraged her to institutionalize my aunt. Although this was more common than not during that time period, my grandmother refused. Despite any disability, my Aunt Thesea grew into a beloved and active family member who worked and contributed to the greater community in many ways. My grandmother’s love and wisdom remains a testimony to me, as does the love and friendship of the many people I have been in relationship with over the years who had intellectual disabilities. They were and remain much more than any disability that challenged them, and I dedicated this effort to all of them. They have done more for me than I have ever done for them. Thanks again to the Special Olympics, Lutheran Family Services, Linking Lives, and L’Arche for loving so many people well. I am truly your fan. I remain also the biggest fan of my wife, Kristine, who puts up with all my crazy ideas and long hours with both patience and love.

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February 3, 2011 · 10:25 pm

Waking from the dark

Recently, I had the good fortune of attending a momentous and joyous event. A past coworker and forever dear friend of mine was retiring from the City of Alexandria (VA) Police Department. I arrived in the city early, so I visited all the old haunts from my patrol days. The neighborhoods I used to patrol have really changed, but the memories linger. Faces, emotions, and more vividly came back to me as I drove – not all of them bringing joy: the place where I handled my first homicide; a telephone pole where two college students died tragically; a courtyard where a brave fellow officer was shot and killed. For a police officer, such memories reflect much of one’s life on the street. It is often frustrating, sad, and sometimes even briefly terrifying. Such memories tend to linger in your days and sometimes even during your nights.

As I arrived at the restaurant to honor my friend, I rejoiced at meeting several old comrades; many who I had not spoken with for sixteen years. The bonds of the life we shared were still strong, and it was like I had never left except for the many new (and younger) faces of police officers in the room. Soon, one younger man came up to me. I recognized the face, but I couldn’t quite place him. He was a captain now, but I had been his Field Training Officer for two weeks as he started his service just before I resigned to enter ministry. After some catching up, he pointed out that I might be back for a lot of retirements in the next few years, for all my contemporaries are at the age to retire. (Police work can prove hard on the body, soul and your family, so officers often retire at a younger age than other professions.) The bittersweet truth of what he said really hit home. My ties to this city and the brave men and women who served it would soon seem to be fully cut.

Along with a great lunch and fellowship, my friend entering retirement gave us some wonderful food for thought. As he sometimes tearfully shared about his many years with the force, the tears were of joy and thanksgiving. He didn’t focus on the bad times, even if he couldn’t forget them. He lifted up the relationships that had blessed him in his vocation, family, and life. We were officers together when violent crime was at its height in the twentieth century. It was an exciting time and a meaningful time. It brought us together in ways few people will ever understand. Together, love for one another had not only helped us survive but also thrive. Speaking to the younger officers, he shared the things that mattered most at the end of the day, especially going home safe to your family and friends. He lifted up those whose dedication to service had inspired him, and by honoring them, he hoped to inspire those who remained on the force after he left.

As I listened, I sensed the sacred at work in and through our shared life. As difficult as the past had been at times, I could see more and more clearly the light of Christ shining even among those many darker memories. Ours had always been a road of blessing, not curse. We were bonded to others of the past and the future through the service we shared. We are bonded to one another forever. The love of God at work, even when you don’t see it at first, has a way of unifying things and making them new. Although imperfectly at times, we had sought together to do our best out of love – acted justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly with our God – and it all mattered. The good and the bad times mattered. God had used them all. Now, the world and I will never be the same. Thanks be to God.

From Psalm 71 (NRSV translation):

16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,
I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.
Your power 19and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?


© 2011 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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