I took the opportunity to visit with a cop for a while the other day. His name and other details will be kept confidential, but his story should be heard.
He was gentle, and kind although his voice was subdued with sadness, or hopelessness. I didn’t know which. He dreamt of being a cop as a child, and that dream solidified as a young adult when he witnessed an officer help a young couple calmly through the angry emotions of an ending relationship. The officer disarmed their need for retaliation, and planted a seed in the heart of the young man to help others in chaos, to be a peacemaker.
But this current environment is frightening, he says. “It’s impossible to do my job, except in neighborhoods where we are accepted. Other neighborhoods scream at us, and chant angrily about their desire to see us dead.”
“I’m simply so exhausted. The state of high alert we have to maintain all day is ridiculous. We can never let our guard down for a moment. Someone running up to me for help, might be carrying a gun. I have to stay in position, and tactically ready every second.”
I asked if it was possible to be safe on the job now.
“We never go on calls alone anymore. Everyone is teamed up, and that adds to the shortage. With my background from SWAT and the military, I know how to be safe but, I’m also buying extra bullet-proofing, and helmet for myself, and an extra rifle I should be getting within the week. I have a family. I want to go home every night.”
“We are also finding ways to step out of danger while on the job. There are ways. For instance, we might slowly drive-by a call to a bad neighborhood to assess the situation first. If the violence and hatred are heavily active, we can keep on driving.”
I asked why people call for help, and then target them.
“People sometimes call for help to stop the violence imminently threatening them, only to turn that same violence toward us when we arrive.”
“Blacks murdering blacks has escalated out-of-control, and nothing is being done about it. Legislators seem to be moving in the opposite direction. For instance, after new legislation was passed that a defendant’s ability to pay a fine must be assessed before an arrest warrant can be made, 5000 arrest warrants were erased from the records, and those offenders have been left without a consequence for their crime. It appears that our government is giving violence a free rein.”
“Cops are beginning to refuse to go into the war zones. They have no incentive to help people who hate them, and want to kill them. They have no desire to do a job that will get them blame, criticizm and more hated.”
“I have unfriended half my friends on Facebook because they freely share their opinions about how I should do my job. And yet most of them have never been in law enforcement, or even the military. They have no idea what it’s like to face a shooter, or the training involved in learning to disarm one. But they refuse to see how ignorant it is for them to feel completely justified in having an opinion. This current atmosphere is full of Monday morning quarterbacks with opinions about being a police officer. What other job gets that kind of accepted public scrutiny? What other job is fair game for it?”
“It makes no sense how much chaos is in control right now, and how little anyone seems to care. But if we do our job of peacemaking and stop the chaos, then we are immediately in the spotlight of public opinion. The public, for instance, simply has no idea how simple a video can appear, and yet how little it sometimes reveals. Even the experts sometimes miss something. When did the public become experts at being a cop?”
“Most of us blame this President for the current atmosphere. He never supported us, but pointed criticism at us freely, not at the offenders. He made us scapegoats, and encouraged that mindset.”
The Officer sighed, and paused for a moment before continuing. “You’re going to see cases of “blue flu” escalating more and more. Many officers are making it known that they will refuse to show up for rallies such as the “Black Lives Matter” movement. It’s like being a sitting duck.”
I asked about the vocal supporters that seem to be more pronounced now.
“It’s true, they are. Officers are getting more lunches and coffees paid for by citizens than they’ve ever seen. But this support is mainly in predominantly white neighborhoods, and it isn’t enough. We need a 100 times more support in the public and political arena.”
I asked what he thought the solution would be, and he reaffirmed his hope is for a new Presidential administration, a complete government overhaul, and for the legislative tables to be flipped.
“I now hate the job that was my dream, and if I had another opportunity available, I’d be gone immediately. The police academy in this city usually has 3 academies of new cadets during the year, but this year they cancelled 2 of them because no one is applying to be a cop.”
I mentioned places where there is no police involvement, like sections of New Orleans that Katrina destroyed. I’ve read that people who call the police in those areas, will never see an officer because the violence and lawlessness is all that lives there. So the cops won’t go.
“There are places like that all over the country, and it’s getting worse.”
Our visit came to an end, and I left this Officer with the message that he is loved, highly appreciated, and flanked by mighty angels. He seemed grateful, but still exhausted.
AFTERWARD
After the interview, I took awhile to assess this scenario of hopelessness, fear, and desperation, and understand that this Officer’s exhaustion stemmed not only from high alert status, but from the dark emotions swirling throughout the world. Just like a swarm of killer bees, these spirits are filling every receptive mind and heart. And as shootings happen again and again, we sink into deeper fear and desperation.
But I know, and most of you do also, there is no solution inside fear. Fear only fosters more defeat. Victory is not born from fear. However, death and darkness feed on it.
Why we as Christians haven’t seen the identity of this path is sad, because in meeting Father God we’ve seen inside the light of His presence. We know there is no darkness there, but there are answers to defeat every form of darkness. Father has never lost a battle with evil, so who is the god we’ve been worshiping?
Apparently he has a form with no substance. I say that because our methods seem to be completely ineffective. The shooting continues and oddly we know in our hearts that we are winning none of these battles, but we justify the results with the phrase “end times”. Therefore the world is going to hell in a hand-basket, and we can do nothing to stop it. It is even more odd that Christians pray to stop destruction that they announce daily is coming. How contradictory can we be?
But as most of you know, I stepped off that merry-go-round quite some time ago. That doesn’t mean I suddenly saw the answers, because honestly, I still bought the doctrine even though I wasn’t playing inside the institution.
It wasn’t until just a couple short years ago that I began shedding the traditional ways, and asking Father for working keys to our world. That’s when He began unveiling our true Identity, and then invited me to sit down next to Jesus to learn Ruling & Reigning 101.
I might not be getting A+ grades in His school, but I’m enjoying the On-The-Job training as He invites me to experiment and learn.
Since my interview with the Police Officer, I began unwrapping keys of peace and safety for this Officer, and all the others in my State.
Now, I see a movement of change occurring in the spirit realm as I progress. Therefore I will continue, because I know something good is happening. I have mostly abandoned the traditional, except to promise this Officer that I will cast my vote on his behalf in this coming Presidential election.
From my newfound vantage point, the voting process appears to be very ineffective, but he asked me to, so I will.
Meantime I will continue working inside The Kingdom strategies that Father is teaching me. And I will continue having fun doing so. There is not one iota of fear involved. The peace is almost tangible, and the results fit into place smoothly and naturally.
FINALLY
If you are feeling this current fear, panic and desperation coloring your world and family, then do what you know must be done to lay that stuff down, and step into Father’s presence. Do it quickly. Turn off the media. Stay away from people who are feeding on it. Lay down doctrines and preconceptions.
Step into His complete peace. Stay there and rest for a bit. Get renewed to the point that fear is far, far away.
Now ask Him to teach you how to change the world. This is the joy of His heart.
Blessings on your journey!
Faith
(For more on Faith’s journeys and lessons, check out her books. New ones are on the way.)