June 2015 Monthly Letter

Dear Reconciler Team,

A few days ago, I had the privilege of discussing the Ministry of Reconciliation with our ORM Chapter Leaders. We meet from time to time by phone and occasionally in person to discuss the Ministry and its relevance. It’s a great blessing to have a team of men and women who have a passion for the Ministry. We understand first and foremost that Jesus has called us to have a special focus on this Ministry; Colossians 1:19-22 and Ephesians 2:14-18.

One of the key topics we discussed was police-community relations. It’s a hot topic, as we all know from a constant news cycle. And since we, you included, specialize in helping people to come together and reconcile their differences, I’d like to share some thoughts from two Police Officers whom I admire and have shared reconciliation work with.

Here’s an excerpt of a message sent to me by Santa Barbara, California Under Sheriff Bernard Melekian, as a matter of advice when meeting with police officers on police-community relations. He stated, “I think if you can do what you do best, which is to humanize every person involved, the situation will unfold as it should. They will not want to be blamed, but if you can make a distinction among the people who are protesting, that is, those who are in pain from decades of injustice, and those who are simply parading for the cameras, you will start them on the road to reconciliation. The people who are left will be those who live there, and those who police there.”

Next is a message from Sean Thuilliez, Commander of Beaumont California Police Department: “Some of the discussion items could include transparency, trust and ethics. I would recommend that the police departments have a website where the public can access information about arrests, reports, events, but also they should post the good the officers do in the community. These positives could include bike giveaways, charity work and so on.”

Since this is such a hot item, I think it is good for us law-abiding citizens, who are lights of the world and salt of the earth, to “always be prepared to give an answer to every man that asks you of the reason of the hope that lies within us.” 1 Peter 3:15.

ORM Chapter Leader Louis Davis, Elder in Southern California wrote: “I would like to point out the fact God is in charge and appoints law enforcement officers. However, they are not above the law, and when caught (breaking the law) should pay their penalty.”

I think it’s appropriate to end this letter by quoting a well know pastor and reconciler, Dr. Martin Luther King. He said this in his famous I have a Dream Speech: “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places shall be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.” His message was, and is, that all men are created equal and are to love one another. And of course that includes all women. That, by the way, is Christ’s message.

Thank you all for believing in, practicing and supporting this very important message of reconciliation.