No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.
John 15:13 NRSVue
Yesterday we were informed that three Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers were ambushed in a response to to a domestic call in Eastern Ontario. One of them Sgt. Eric Mueller was shot dead, while the other two were injured.
Whenever I hear of the murder of a police officer I'm sickened. They are usually of an age where they have young families and so the implications of the death ripple outward to cause sorrow in an immediate circle as well as the broader community.
Those who lose their lives are invariably going about the necessary "serve and protect" work we assign to police forces. I've never understood the call to abolish police even though I can see how we can do better to protect the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the mentally ill. There are people in society who are intent on doing harm to others and its a grim reality that we need those who can respond to the threats they pose.
Why have we heard of so many more police murders in Canada during the past year? Has the effect of the pandemic unhinged certain people? Have societal norms been abandoned by some? It does seem that there is in an underlying discontent and rage amongst a segment of the population which results in violence, including toward those who have been given the responsibility to respond.
I wonder how communities of faith should respond to these tragic losses. Can we provide leadership in grieving, as so many of us are bewildered? I have no answers, to be honest. We can pray for those who have lost their lives and for those who love them. We can remember those who do serve who are shattered by these losses and their increasing frequency. And we can pray for our society, where there seems to be so much unhappiness and anger. This is a spiritual crisis which must be addressed.
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