First Friday Coffee with the Ogden Police Department

What a great idea! Diana, Ogden Police Department’s Community Outreach Coordinator arranges a monthly event designed to allow members of the community to interact with members of the department. This morning, it was held at The Daily Rise.  Several officers are there, there’s free coffee, and a great atmosphere.

            I went because there’s something about coffee, but also to show support for the Department. Others showed up because they had questions, and one lady even showed up with a thankyou note for the officers who had responded to a recent 911 call.

            I think this is such a great idea on so many different levels, first and foremost being that getting to know the officers who are likely patrolling in your neighborhood before you need them makes it easier to ask for help later. Personal relationships are so important in every other aspect of our life—family, school, work, church, and the sports or other social activities—why should this be any different.

            In my work as a corporate chaplain, I often hear that a lot of problems can be avoided when people know in advance where they can turn for help. Like a school principal or the HR person at work, a police officer is not your enemy. They might have to respond or react to your inappropriate behavior, but the goal would always be to address the issue before it becomes a major problem.

            These men and women have a tough job, somedays you can make it a little easier for them, just by offering a smile when they drive by.  And by the way, I would imagine that on a regular basis they see things that no human being should ever have to see. Pray boldly for their safety and peace of mind.

Thoughts on Bezet's Real Love

Fess up—you know someone who is far from lovable. Well, at least you don’t find them very loveable, even if their mother does. It would be nice if everyone with whom we ever came in contact was one of those nice people, but God in His infinite wisdom created all of us as individuals, in His image, but still individual. Which means that Tab A doesn’t always fit Slot B.  It doesn’t come naturally to us to love some of those Tab A’s that don’t fit our Slot B. And then God decided that even though we’re different in many respects that we’re supposed to love our neighbor. Even when we find that neighbor fairly unlovable. Oops!

            And my take away from Rick Bezet’s book Real Love in an Angry World: How To Stick to Your Convictions without Alienating People (Baker Books, 2017) is that speaking the truth in love is, in God's eyes, a much better alternative some of our natural tendencies. And of course the flip side is also true, quite often I’m one of those unlovable people; maybe you are too.

            Bezet looks at some of the problems we have dealing with other human beings and offers some suggestions for getting on track. Sometimes that means learning to listen, sometimes it’s seeking counsel before acting on what we think we’ve heard, and sometimes it’s asking for help interpreting what we just heard. And maybe it means getting a different translation of a bible, one written in language that you understand.

            The book is an easy read, and Bezet has a charming sense of humor that comes through in his writing. And it’s all interspersed with solid theology, and pertinent biblical references.

            An enjoyable read, and helpful pointers for loving the neighbor—even when.

            I received a copy of this book from Baker Books in exchange for this review.

            4/5

faith lessons from a horror story

Sometimes blessings come from unexpected places, and sometimes valuable lessons come from pretty strange sources.  For example, would you expect a horror movie to be a source of valuable Faith lessons?

                Yeah, me neither. At least not usually. But sometimes that happens.  In fact, there’s a scary movie being released next week that offers some valuable insight into how when we’re at our weakest, we are ever so susceptible to falling prey to temptation.

                Annabelle: Creation, the story of a possessed deal releases in theaters o Friday August 11.watch the trailer here

                And one of the main lessons we can learn from films about the supernatural is that evil is real. It’s real, it’s frightening, and when we’re at our best, we tend to walk away, but in moments of weakness, and despair, we’re much more likely to embrace it, especially if it seems that we’ll be able to find answers to our questions, or relief from pain and sorrow.

                So no, I’m not recommending OUIJA boards, I’m not suggesting tarot decks, just offering a commentary on the whys of their use.

                So, ‘Annabelle: Creation’ starts with every parent’s worst nightmare: the unexpected and sudden death of a child. And in the midst of their broken heartedness, opportunities arise for them to find answers. The problem is that by the time they realize that the hoped-for answers aren’t forth-coming, they have been drawn down a dark path.

                Horror exists, horror I evil, but Christians have read the book, and we know how the story ends. God defeats evil. So instead of turning to the supernatural instead of God, we should know that we need to use our faith, to use prayer, to call upon God. He has the answers to our questions. He can help us in our times of grief.

                The movie tells a story, and like all stories it teaches a lesson.  Let the lesson you learn from this be that God is the answer, in our darkest moments, God can heal our bodies and our souls.