Broken People - Part 1

The reason that we need police in the first place, is the same reason there will always be “bad cops” in some place.  We’re all sinners who need a savior.  That goes for every aspect of life and society.

Once I understand the Gospel of God’s grace, I can begin to figure out that no human being or human society will ever produce the “perfect system” of any sort.  Broken people will always create broken systems – broken somewhere, somehow or in some way. And even if we could produce the “perfect system,” we are then left to populate that “perfect system” with less than perfect people.  Even a hypothetical perfect system will be less than perfect over time when it is implemented by broken people.

That goes for police forces, school systems, local churches, denominations, political parties, nations, corporations, garden clubs, family budgets, the front lawn and everything else.  As a Calvinist, I recognize this as “Total Depravity;” the “T” in my TULIP.  I may not be as bad or broken as I can be, but every part of me is affected by my brokenness in some way.  As a believer, I recognize that there is no escaping that sad reality until Jesus returns and He sets everything right.  Until then, every believer is letting His grace flourish more and more in their life and relationships.  Still, even on a good day, we are only seeing approximations of the true and perfect that is to come.

So, what do we do about that?

First, don’t plan on perfection for any system, plan or person.  Build in checks and balances along with points of accountability.  How will you discover a breakdown?  How do you make restitution, learn from and then implement changes that will minimize the chance of any future breakdown?

Second, have enough humility to recognize that even if your answer is “better” than the other person’s, it still won’t be the “perfect answer.“  There will come a time when circumstances change and the brokenness will work its way to the surface in whatever system or answer you propose.  Breakdown is a “when” not an “if.” 

Finally, don’t give up.  With accountability and humility, things in any system or situation can improve, and everyone benefits from that.  The Apostle Paul writes “do not grow weary in well-doing.”(Galatians 6:9)  Those of us living by His grace, are kept and strengthened in that grace in the pursuit of His glory.  (Hebrews 12:3)  Keep hungering and thirsting for His righteousness and justice.

All this to say: I was horrified to watch George Floyd die.  There clearly needs to be some accountability established, and then changes identified and implemented for policing.  We can do – and desperately NEED TO DO - better for every American.  But we will never get it “perfect.”  We will always need accountability, change and restitution.

So for now, let’s come to grips with the problem, identify some steps to make things better, and get to it.  Quickly.

What Do You Mean By That?

When I first heard the phrase “Defund the Police.” I was astonished.  I’ve done ministry in neighborhoods where the police did not go after dark.  It was awful to see what resulted – especially for the impoverished residents that I knew and loved.  I would not want that sort of circumstance for anyone, so how anyone could advocate THAT was beyond me.

STUPIDEST THING I CAN EVER IMAGINE! Was my natural response.

Thankfully, I have learned to ask instead, “What do you mean by that?”

A little time on Google and some reading across various news sources that I know – not one of them on FaceBook, but that is a different conversation – and I began to see the slogan “Defund the Police” a bit differently. CLICK HERE or CLICK HERE for two examples.

It turns out that others have noticed the same things I have. Over just the course of my lifetime, we have all grown to rely on the police to take care of more and more things: school disciplinary issues, my neighbor’s kid’s garage band, homeless people panhandling near the parking lot.  What if we began steps to let law enforcement focus on enforcing laws rather than ridding my life of inconveniences like those?  Policing that is more connected with the community and people equipped to handle other problems – like addiction – more available for those interventions.

To be honest, when people explain what they mean with this slogan, I’m still not convinced - in fact, I'm kind of alarmed!  But that too is another discussion.  My point is that asking “What do you mean by that?” rather than simply screaming “THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING I CAN EVER IMAGINE!” moved my own thinking in an entirely different direction.

So ask the question and listen.  You don’t have to be convinced, but we’re all better off if we take that step in pursuit of understanding.