Experiencing the candlelight vigil during Police Week is a profoundly moving experience. It’s a time to reflect, to count the cost of lives forever altered – those maimed, murdered, and marooned by violence. It is the very least we can do to honor the wounded and remember the lost. This solemn occasion provides a space to heal, to embrace loved ones, and to reaffirm our respect for humanity—the very principle that often draws individuals to becoming a law officer in the first place.
There are few experiences that parallel the powerful emotions witnessed amidst the overwhelming sea of uniforms. The shared grief, the silent understanding, and the collective commitment to remember create a bond unlike any other. But what happens when the music fades, the crowds disperse, and you find yourself alone at home? The silence can be deafening, the memories overwhelming.
In our human frailty, we all must grapple with the inevitable end, with our mortality in these “earth suits.” It is this contemplation that fuels my conviction to speak openly about the answers I believe God offers. If a godless existence brings you contentment, then so be it. However, my personal journey—seeking answers to those difficult questions about God—motivated me to co-author, Jurisdiction: A Cop and a Pastor Talk About Life. It’s also the driving force behind the poem below, “Counting the Cost.”
Frankly, my disappointment with our justice system would be unbearable if not for the absolute assurance I have discovered in God’s immaculate, incredible sovereignty. Regardless of your experiences during Police Week, I hope you will consider the words that follow.
Honoring the wounded, remembering the lost A candlelight vigil, counting the cost Children bewildered, parents who grieve The sheepdog’s life, was lost to thieves Drained and void, sits the officer’s house Yet filled with tears, from the widowed spouse Brutal and barbaric, we call the acts That took our partner, a vicious attack Where do we go, with the pain and the loss? From the dawn of creation, to the shadow of the cross What an awful mess, cries the wounded heart But with the God of our universe, salvation can start A “new normal” begins, as we fall on our face Yet the answers are found, in God’s healing grace Eternity does not, begin with our last But the life breathed in us, this too shall pass God loves and wants us, but do we want Him? Will we blame the Almighty, or allow Him in? Death will always be, public enemy number one But it’s an adversary that’s defeated, by God’s only Son We can be carried to the table, a place we don’t belong Lifted to the throne of God, with faith to make us strong He will Shepherd us, the length of our days May we respond to His mercy, and give Him praise Not because of tragedy, or pain without love But hope of a reunion, in heaven above!