Brevity and Urgency

This week in Tifton, we were all reminded again of two truths: brevity and urgency. Wednesday afternoon, a Tifton Police Officer, named Terry Adams died as a result of injuries sustained in a crash between his patrol motorcycle and a truck that pulled out in front of him as he responded to a call. You can see more about it here at the Officer Down Memorial Page. As the chaplain of the Tift County Sheriff's Office, I was thankful that it wasn't one of my deputies. But as anyone in law enforcement knows, it really affects us all when a fellow officer is killed in the line of duty.

As I reflected on it all, I thought about how quickly life can be taken from us. I was riding with a deputy who had just talked with Terry that morning, and we just shared in shock that he was really gone, just like that. None of us are immune to tragedy. And I drove a little more carefully that day. I thought of his wife and family trying to explain to his four children about the fact that their father would not be coming back. James says life is like a vapor. John Piper says, "Don't waste it." How about you? Are you living as though you are bulletproof? Are you prepared to go today should today be your appointment with death?

Secondly, I thought of the unique opportunity and urgency that those believers like me who work with law enforcement have, and must keep in their minds. These public servants put their lives on the line everyday for us, and we rarely give them a thought, unless we think that we are about to get a ticket. They are a unique group in our society, and hard to reach with the gospel. But we are called to make in roads of faith into their lives best we can. If you have the privilege of having an officer/deputy in your life, please don't take it lightly. Please remember that those that don't have the Son, don't have life.

So, first of all, pray with me. Pray for the Adams family. The funeral is Monday. Pray that officers and deputies will be touched with a sense of their own mortality; and touched by the Holy Spirit, and shown their need for Christ. Pray for opportunities to minister the gospel during this full police funeral. Pray regularly for the law enforcement personnel in your town/county. Serve them as they serve you. Talk to your local agency about ways you can show your support. We have people in our church that randomly do acts of service for the entire Sheriff's Office, and for that I am grateful. It makes the gospel real to them, and my job as a chaplain much easier. And finally, be bold with the gospel of the Greatest Treasure in the universe! Time is short, and the harvest is white and in need of laborers!