Thank You to Those who Serve

Romans 13:4 (ESV)

^“for he is God’s servant for your good.”

I want to say right off, this is not intended to be anything more than what the title says – a “thank you to those who serve.”  Obviously. I, like most of you, have been horrified by the racist deeds we have as a nation been witnessed to in recent weeks.  There are bad policemen, just like there are bad pastors, bad doctors, bad lawyers. Indeed, we are all sinners capable of evil.  I do not intend to deny that.

However, I want to say very clearly, that I believe that 99% of those who serve in the police force, in the fire department, as EMTs and in all other professions who seek to protect us – that 99% are good honorable women and men, of every race, color and creed.  They seek with all their hearts to serve and protect us.  Now, I am not one who likes to speak or write in in generalities, like the one I just shared with you.  So, I will speak from my own personal experience.  I am an Uncle to one police officer.  Over the years I have been a friend, neighbor and pastor to many who serve as policemen, policewomen, firemen, EMTs, soldiers and more.  Everyone one of them is a good honorable person, who seeks to serve and protect the rest of us.  I have one friend, a fireman, who last year propelled down an elevator shaft in a skyscraper to rescue someone stuck in that elevator.  Last year, I met a policeman who, in response to a school shooter, ran towards the shooting while everyone else was running away.  He did that to protect the teachers and students of that school.  Where would you and I be without such courageous men and women?   I have grave doubts that I would be capable of doing either of those things. 

I was reminded of all this by something I read this morning. The following quote is from a book on Christian vocation – God at Work - by Gene Edward Veith.  Here is what he wrote –

“When the planes smashed into the World Trade Center, thousands of office workers rushed out of the building. Against the stream, police and firefighters were rushing inside. When the towers collapsed, hundreds of them, who had gone into the doomed buildings to rescue whoever they could, lost their lives. Afterwards the firefighters, police, and rescue workers worked round-the-clock in the wreckage, desperately trying to find someone alive, engaging in backbreaking, exhausting physical labor to find clues and recover the bodies. Here is real heroism, everyone agreed. Professional athletes and movie stars, accustomed to adulation, said with one voice that they are nothing—those cops, firefighters, and other workers at Ground Zero are the heroes. Interestingly, when the heroes took a break long enough to be interviewed, they modestly put aside the praise. They said, “We are just doing our jobs.” That is the doctrine of vocation. Ordinary men and women expressing their love and service to their neighbor, “just doing our jobs.”

Paul’s words about those in authority, written to the Roman Christians seem so appropriate – “for he is God’s servant for your good.”  I would challenge all of you to find a way to say thank you for this service.  Therefore, to all the good, honest, honorable men and women serving to protect us – especially to those I know – Thanks be to God and thank you for “just doing your jobs!”