I transitioned from police work and became a pastor many years ago. Occasionally, I am asked a question. “Was it a hard transition to make?” I typically reply, “No. There are more similarities than differences.” Today, I might add a point of clarification to my answer due to the socially engineered climate of lawlessness that is taking place in our culture.
When I was a cop, we enforced local and state laws and swore to uphold the Constitution. We did not have what we see taking place today. In some nations once thought to be free democracies, we see a different use of law enforcement. These officers are being used by political opportunists who want those who wear badges to work as their enforcers – enforcers of the very things that dismantle what they swore to protect.
At some point, those who are called to protect and serve must be willing to say, “No, I will not enforce that unjust law.” If community leaders and leaders within the Church are not willing to issue such a refusal, then we are farther down a dark road than we first imagined. History has proven that early refusals to unrighteous demands could have saved the lives of millions of people. A “no” at a local level is a first line of defense. Some things, if left unchallenged, will eventually morph into the ugly monster of totalitarian control. History repeats itself with unsettling predictability and regularity.
We need to pray for courage for our first responders and leaders within the Church. That courage will be used by the Lord to protect innocent people under their care and help maintain a stable social platform where the God-given rights promised by our national institutions can survive and remain in place for coming generations.
We are at a turning point. That turning point is a spiritual intersection that will present one of the greatest challenges to face the faithful men and women who serve behind a badge and those who stand behind a pulpit. The courageous refusals these individuals issue will prevent those in positions of authority from exercising unrighteous control over those whom God has placed under their care. A refusal to obey an unrighteous edict does not create anarchy. It prevents anarchy.
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Garris Elkins
Featured Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay
