Loving those you arrest.

At the end of the last post I challenged you to view everyone you contact on the street through the eyes of Jesus Christ and consider, “Can I love them?” In nearly every station house in the country one could walk through and hear police officers talking about the people they arrested. Generally, the terms they use for their arrestees are not nice. Consider the following descriptions: collar, dirt bag, scumbag, lowest of low, long hair, pervert, sex offender, “those people”, “it’s us verses THEM”, meth head, tweeker, doper, smoker, gang banger, banger, pot head, and many other descriptions that would be in bad taste to even post. What about you? Examine yourself. (2 Cor 13:5)




Often times as law enforcement officers, including those proclaiming to follow Christ, we place ourselves in a position of superiority over those we police forgetting we are just like them. Paul writing to the believers in Corinth said, “Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you.” Here Paul says you are "those people" and they are you. He concluded this section by proclaiming the glorious truth of Christ, “But, you were washed, you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God.” (1 Cor 6 9-11, emphasis added) Paul was reminding the believers in the church that they are no different from the other sinners except by the grace of God.

You are no different from those you arrest except by His grace. You may mockingly call them names or denounce them but in doing so, you pass judgment on yourself. “O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things (Rom 2:1).” Our responsiblity as either an LEO or a Christian is not to judge others but to love them.

When Jesus was asked to identify the greatest commandment He replied, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matt 22:37-40) Do you hear what Christ is saying? All of the Law and Prophets (OT) hang, or hinge, on these two commandments. If everyone were to obey these two commandments, law enforcement as a profession would be extinct! Why? If everyone followed the two commands given by Christ, people would be to busy caring for each other’s needs rather than their own. Rather than trying to exalt ones’ self they would be serving and exalting others. This is why Jesus said, “But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matt 23:11-12)

Our profession, and God’s command under Romans 13, is for us as government employees to reward those who do good and judge those who violate our law. Our position as a law enforcement professional does not override or supersede our position in Christ. His commands to us are 1) love God and 2) love others. It is our responsibility is to love others, including our enemies (Matt 5:44) which means of course even those who commit henious crimes like sexual assault on a child. You can simultaneously love the offender and seek justice. Your life as a law enforcement officer, husband/wife, son/daughter, friend, stranger, or enemy of another is to love them and be a servant.

I will close by stating, “Love is not a feeling it requires action.” Next time we will examine what it means to Biblically love another.