Dave Kistler: Well according to law enforcement’s official statistics, there were 116 officers killed in what is called Line of Duty related accidents or incidents in 2016. In 2017, there were 135 officers that were killed in line of duty deaths, and thus far in 2018, there have been 53. Well I think you would agree with me that without doubt, serving as a law enforcement official is one of the most dangerous professions possible.
Dave Kistler: However, for the law enforcement officials that I know, and I do know many of them, this is not a profession, it is a calling. Now I’m not saying that there aren’t bad police officers out there, just like I’m not saying there aren’t bad ministers out there, because there definitely are bad eggs in both realms. It’s just that with law enforcement, I’ve personally not met any of the bad ones.
Dave Kistler: Well, with that I want to welcome you to Stand in the Gap today. I’m Dave Kistler and I’m joined today by Gary Dull and our special returning guest, Keith Davidson of Seedline International in Brazil, Indiana. Of course, if you’re a regular listener to this program, you know that Seedline is a Bible printing and Bible distribution ministry. Keith is with us today to help talk about this topic, honor to whom honor is due. I know of no group more worthy of honor than the men and women of law enforcement. It’s beyond fitting that we delve into this discussion because of what is occurring in Washington D.C. this week.
Dave Kistler: It’s law enforcement week, or also sometimes called National Police Week. Keith has just returned from a portion of that week and he’s here to tell us some of what’s been going on there, as well as assisting us and bestowing what we believe is going to be appropriate honor on those who deserve it the most. Keith, I want to welcome you to Stand in the Gap today, my friend, thank you for joining us today.
Keith Davidson: It’s great to be here. Thank you.
Dave Kistler: Well, Keith, you just returned within the last several days from Law Enforcement Week or National Police Week as it’s called, and there’s a lot of things that are yet to take place over the course of this week up in Washington D.C. at the Law Enforcement Memorial and throughout the city. In fact, even as I’m talking to you, our president has just concluded an address at the National Law Enforcement Memorial service, the vice president is also in attendance. Leaders in the house and Senate are there as well, but Keith, you were there over the weekend and what you got to see was quite stunning.
Dave Kistler: What I’d love for you to do is just share with our listeners a little bit about what Law Enforcement Week is, and then if you could quickly talk a little bit about some of the incredible open doors of ministry that God has opened up for us there.
Keith Davidson: Absolutely. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, is what it’s called, is at the center of, well the 400 block and East street in Washington D.C. Probably one of the most best kept secrets I suppose. I didn’t even know about it until a couple of years ago. But it’s one of the nations monuments to law enforcement officers who’ve died in the line of duty and it was dedicated in October the 15th 1991 and I’m surprised that long a time is not more publicized, but the memorial honors federal, state and local enforcement officers who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and it’s people.
Keith Davidson: It’s a huge opportunity for us to share in ministry while we do that. The memorial, by the way, features two curved 300 foot long blue-gray marble walls and carved on these walls are the names of more than 21,000 officers who’ve been killed in the line of duty throughout US history. I believe they date it all the way back to the first known death that they have on record was 1791 and unlike many memorials in D.C., the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is ever changing and the sad part is, there’s new names applied every year. We attended the candlelight visual as well, that was Sunday evening, and each year they read off the names of those who were killed in line of duty the previous year. It’s a very sombering event, very heart breaking as well.
Keith Davidson: I had some other things to share with you about that, hopefully in another segment we have today, but one thing that takes place with that, is also, I want you to know on the monument itself, it says, “It is not how these officers died that make them hero’s, it’s how they lived.” Another is “In valor, there is hope.” Then there’s Proverbs 28:1, said, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” If you see the memorial, and I encourage everyone to come and see that, there are lions displayed there, carvings and so forth, and there’s little statues of them, and that’s the reason why, because of what the scripture says.
Keith Davidson: Then, president George H.W. Bush said, “Carved on these walls is the story of America, of a continuing quest to preserve both democracy and decency and to protect the national treasure that we call the American Dream.” It’s just a huge blessing, a huge honor, probably one of the most neglected things in our country.
Gary Dull: Well you know, I would agree with that Keith, that it’s one of the most neglected things in our country and particularly today, what we find that there’s so many people that have a negative attitude towards law enforcement officers, which is really sad. I mean, it should not be that way at all, because all so often, those who have a negative attitude towards law enforcement officers are the ones who call them first when they’re needed.
Gary Dull: Sort of an oxymoron there, and I’m very, very thankful that this memorial is there in Washington D.C. I’ve been unaware of it. Can you once again, just give the location of that, because I’m certain that this summer there will be many going to D.C. and it would be good for them to stop by and see that. Where is it again Keith?
Keith Davidson: It’s located between 4th and 7th street. It’s actually on the 400 block of East Street and Northwest. There [crosstalk 00:05:54]-
Gary Dull: Northwest
Keith Davidson: If you’re looking from Capitol, yes. If you’re looking down the mall from the capitol building, it’s going to be on your right. It’s pretty easy to find. If you go up 4th Street or get to 4th Street, you’ll be able to find it very easily.
Gary Dull: Now, you are involved with the Law Enforcement Week, how did this originally open up as an opportunity for ministry to you?
Keith Davidson: Well, of course, Seedline, we’re always interested in opportunities to give out the word of God and especially in a place that they can make a difference. We became aware of the memorial and some of our trips in the Bible Reading Marathon, discovering what was in D.C. I had a police officer who was a friend who asked me if I had ever been to the memorial, and I said, “Absolutely not, I’d love to go,” so we were able to make the trip down. As we were standing there, I thought, boy, you know we could be a part of this and give out the Word of God here and make a specialized cover.
Keith Davidson: John and Romans, especially Romans talks about the responsibility of officers and those that are watching over us, but we made a contact with the memorial, and they proofed our John and Romans cover. Actually we have become part of the event. They’ve allowed us to use their logo on the cover, not in a large size of course, but it does tie us to that. What I found that most of the folks who are involved in that are Christians brother Gary, they really are concerned about that, and of course a memorial, is dealing with life and death and so forth, so there are spiritual questions, so it’s just a huge blessing that we’ve been a part of that and it’s been a huge experience.
Keith Davidson: One of the things that really helped us, there are families who are people, it’s not just about the stones, but they bus in families, survivors from all over the country and on that wall, their names are engraved. You can take a piece of paper and take a pencil and rub across that and get their name on paper. It’s just a pretty awesome place.
Gary Dull: Amen.
Dave Kistler: Well, ladies and gentlemen, you’re listening to Keith Davidson of Seedline international. We’re talking about this theme today, honor to whom honor is due. That is a phrase of course taken from the Sacred Scriptures itself, and there’s no group that’s more worthy of honor than those that serve in blue, the men and women of law enforcement.
Dave Kistler: Well have you seen this video? It’s a viral video of a wife who has just found out she’s expecting and she wanted a creative way to tell her husband. What she decided to do was contact the local law enforcement and have them pulled, both she and her husband over as they were driving home. Well, gladly the local police complied, but what I haven’t told you yet is this, the husband and the couple is black, and the officer that pulls them over is white.
Dave Kistler: When he arrives at the window of the car, he tells the husband he’s been pulled over because they have a child in the car that is not in a car seat. Of course, as the husband very gently protests there’s no child in this car, the wife from her cellphone camera is videoing all of this and she holds up in front of the camera where everybody watching can see, a pregnancy test that is positive, and then the officer says, “Yes you do have a child in the car that’s not in a child seat,” and he points across to his wife, and you see the man look at the pregnancy test and see the positive result, you see the excitement on his face and then you see the white officer lean through the window and very warmly and affectionately, pat the shoulder of the new father and of the husband, and it is a moving, moving video.
Dave Kistler: The first time I saw it, which was a couple of months ago, I was stirred and I thought, “You know, that’s the law enforcement community that I know,” and again friends, it’s not that I’ve not been pulled over before by a police officer, I have, I’ve logged somewhere in the neighborhood of over the last 34 years, of about 50 to 80,000 miles a year, so I log a lot of miles. Yes, I have been pulled over for exceeding the speed limit on occasion, but friends, my experiences have not been in any way negative.
Dave Kistler: Every person I’ve ever met associated with law enforcement has been a person of integrity, has been a person of great quality of life, and I’ve just not had a bad experience. Again, I’m not saying there’s not bad officers out there, but the fact is I have not met any of them.
Dave Kistler: Keith, I know you just returned, as we talked about in the segment one, from a weekend of incredible ministry to these absolutely awesome men and women in blue, and at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in D.C., something really powerful happened on Saturday. You sent the video or notified me of, where I could watch the video. Just a little bit ago I watched it. It’s absolutely an amazing thing. Talk a little bit about what the South Carolina Sheriff’s Office Drill Team from Spartanburg, South Carolina, talk about what they did on Saturday, it’s absolutely stunning.
Keith Davidson: Yes. Absolutely. Of course, I’m reminded Lamentations 3:51 says, “Mine eye affecteth mine heart,” and my heart was really affected Saturday. You know, we go up to these things, a lot of them are government sponsored, this rule and that rule, so you’re concerned about being there and are you crossing the line or going to cause problems? But this drill team from Spartanburg, South Carolina started their program, and I was just blown away, because they are … It’s a color guard drill team from Spartanburg, South Carolina and they honored Christ.
Keith Davidson: They sang, had the music and song of Beulah Land. It is well with my soul, and all these things were going on and I’m like, am I really hearing this on the National Memorial Site. It was just amazing. They honored Christ in everything they did, in music, their words that they spoke, they did the Lord’s Prayer, they actually had a thing with the tomb where the stone was pulled back and He is alive, and they talked about when we all get to heaven they’ll not be any need for police officers, they’ll be no more tears, no more crime, and all those kind of things. I was just blown away. I’m like, Am I really hearing what’s going on, and symbolism was huge as well.
Dave Kistler: Keith, when I … watched it, yeah. What was amazing was they actually presented the Gospel in music as well as the gentleman standing behind the podium, speaking in the microphone, explaining all the various aspects of sometimes the police officers uniform, that what the gloves represent, what the police officer’s sword represents, they presented the Gospel.
Keith Davidson: Amen. I would suggest to anyone listening today to go to their Facebook site and you can … Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Rifle Drill Team and you can click on video’s and you can see the very video that they just played on Saturday and it’ll just … it’s only about 20 minutes, but it’d be the best 20 minutes of your day if you’ll watch that.
Gary Dull: Keith, I support the police and law enforcement officers, and of course you realize and so does brother Dave, that we have a little card that we’ve put together that we give out to the police, and I’ve been known to stop police along the highway and give them that card that has in there, John 3:16 and Joshua 1:8, and then on the other side, it has a phone number where the police can call for prayer request.
Gary Dull: Then recently when I was in North Carolina traveling, I got pulled over, I was fifth out of five cars and just got pulled over I guess, because I was the last one, and after the policeman wrote me up, nice, I asked him if I could pray with him, and he said, “No, I don’t pray alongside of the road,” I said, “Well, if you would have been praying, I might not have gotten this ticket, because you wouldn’t have seen me.” He chuckled at that, but I gave him that card.
Gary Dull: You know, anytime I’ve been stopped, I thanked them for doing their job, because that’s exactly what they are doing, and I appreciate that, but there seems to be an openness now among the police community, particularly there in Washington D.C. and based upon what you’ve been describing. My question is there to ask you Keith, is there something unique taking place in Washington D.C. right now that really has created this open door that’s going on, particularly to the proclamation and the openness of the Gospel?
Keith Davidson: I think so brother Gary. I think one thing we as Christians have to come more aware of our protectors and our responsibilities to them. I think it’s been a closed community for quite some time. They kind of look between us and them, and I think we’ve been a little bit afraid of them as well, because they can give us tickets.
Keith Davidson: I think there’s an openness to the Gospel, because we’re showing the love of Christ. If you want someone to know you care about them, you show that you love them, and I think we’re able to show that and when we give out the John and Romans with their information on it, it’s for them, to them, and same thing with the things that you give out, honoring police officers in the church service, telling them thank you, buying their meals, various things that we can do, but I believe we’re giving honor to whom honor is due. Of course, we’re told that in revelation 13 about that. I think we recognize our faith based nation and without protection they have, we wouldn’t have the absolute freedom to proclaim the Gospel or the protection for that.
Keith Davidson: When we do the Bible Reading Marathon, we have Capital police all around us. The safest place in the world, I had folks ask me, “Do you feel unsafe in D.C?” I said, “Absolutely not, I can just lay down somewhere and take a nap, it wouldn’t bother me a bit to do that.”
Gary Dull: Right.
Keith Davidson: I think they’re recognizing the power of prayer, and the presence of God’s people, we need to stand up. When your life is on the line, or you come and face your own mortality, faith becomes real, and I think they seek out folks who are of genuine faith and who are genuinely concerned for them and pray for them.
Gary Dull: You know, I think that’s important to take into consideration, because when they get up to go to work in the morning, they never know if they’re coming home at night. Just one case in point, no, no, you go back to David, but every so often, we have special services at the church that I pastor to honor the police, and this year, we had more police than we have ever had.
Keith Davidson: Amen.
Gary Dull: I will make this type of a statement that when these men or women get up to go to work in the morning, they never know if they’ll get home at night, because they never know when they are going to be called to some type of an emergency. Well, wouldn’t you know it, if halfway through the service, some emergency came into our city, and half of the group had to get up and leave. They didn’t do it all at once. There were two, then there were four, then there were three, whatever. As they were called out, they went. As it turned out, it ended up there was quite a situation going on in town, and some of those policemen who were in church that morning, got whipped and beat up at that situation. So you know, I said to the congregation, this is living proof why we need to pray for these fellows, because they’d never know when they are going to be in harms way in one way, shape or form.
Dave Kistler: You know, Gary, you ask a very intriguing question of Keith, and that is, is there something that has precipitated this openness in Washington D.C.? I would say even around the nation on the part of law enforcement to the Gospel, to the truth of the Word of God, and Keith answered it very, very well. They’ve always been a God honoring group, I mean, that’s what I’ve seen in all of them, but I think the last eight years of demeaning of law enforcement by the Barack Obama Administration, really, really, set everything on edge in the United States of America.
Dave Kistler: This maximizing of situations caught on video, where officers may or may not have done the wrong thing, we don’t know the entire scenario, we’re just watching a snippet of it on a video, but now we have a president in office who is going out of his way to recognize and honor those that serve in blue as well as those that serve in all branches of the military. I think Gary, that is really creating a situation where law enforcement is deeply appreciative of anyone who’s appreciative of them, and I don’t think anyone is more thankful than the Christian community.
Gary Dull: I think that’s right. You brought something up and of course, we know that under Barack Obama it just seemed like the thumbs were down on the police community. Have either of you sensed, Dave or Keith, that now that Donald Trump is in the White House, that there has been an ease on this pressure that’s been on the police nationwide?
Dave Kistler: Gary, let me answer that, and the answer is an unequivocal yes. In fact, if you had seen the president when he was introduced just about 45 minutes ago, at the National Law Enforcement Memorial Service, and you saw the response he got, the man who introduced him did it with more energy than I’ve just about ever seen an introduction given. It was obvious that the law enforcement community loves this president, because he loves them, and then the response from the part of the people there was equally over the top. I think you’re hitting on something. One of the greatest opportunities I’ve ever had as a preacher of the Gospel was something that occurred a couple of years ago in a major American city where I was asked to address a law enforcement service honoring those who had been recently killed in the line of duty.
Dave Kistler: Let me back up a little bit and explain something that led up to that. Right after the 2001 9/11 attacks, there was a woman in Pennsylvania, or excuse me, actually she lived in New Jersey, who came up to me after a service, and she handed me a pin that had the number 37 on it. The number 37 was on a shield, a law enforcement shield, and then behind the shield with the number 37 in the background, you can see the twin towers, and this mother explained to me that this pin was given to her in honor of her son, who was one of the 37 Port Authority police officers killed on 9/11 in the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers.
Dave Kistler: What she said to me is this, she said, “I’m going to give you this pin.” I said, “Why would you want to do that?” She said, because you’re going to be going to Washington D.C., you’re going to be speaking in a crusade effort up there, which I was to do just a few months after this conversation I was having with this dear mother. I said, “No ma’am, I’m not going to take that,” she said, “Oh yes you are, but here’s the conditions. I want you to use this pin to tell my son’s story.” She proceeded to tell me how her son loved the United States of America. He was an incredible patriot, but eclipsing his patriotism was his love for Jesus Christ.
Dave Kistler: She told me a little bit of his personal testimony, how he came to faith in the Lord. She said, “I’m going to give you this and if you can use it in any way to tell my son’s story, I want you to do that.” Well, little did she know, not only did I have the occasion to tell her son’s story in Washington D.C. one afternoon, but now I’m in a major American city invited to speak at a law enforcement memorial service, honoring those who’ve been killed in the line of duty, and I happen to have that pin with me, and I remember wondering, why do I feel compelled this pin?
Dave Kistler: But I took it, and when I got to the memorial and realized all that was going to take place there, I realized why God prompted me to take the pin, because in this particular city, not only do they have a law enforcement memorial for those that have been killed in that particular community, but they also have a section of their memorial dedicated to the 37 Port Authority police officers who died on 9/11 in New York City.
Dave Kistler: I realized, Lord, this is why you wanted me to bring the pin. I held the pin up and said, “Today, I’m going to fulfill a promise I made to a mother. A mother of one of your own. I told the story of this Port Authority police officer, about his love of country, his love of Christ, his commitment to serve in law enforcement, viewing it not as a profession, but as a calling indeed.
Dave Kistler: It was amazing gentlemen, how everyone there, especially the families of those that had fallen, listened with absolutely rapt attention to the point that the police chief in that large community, came up to me afterwards, he said, “Dave, I learned something today. I’ve learned that we who knows Christ as Savior, can share the Gospel and should share the Gospel in situations like this. There’s a way to do it, there’s a way not to do it,” and he said, “I think I learned today the way to do it.” It was an awesome experience.
Dave Kistler: The reason I’m telling that story is, Gary, those who serve in law enforcement, do so not just because they have a desire to protect us, the American people, but according to Romans 13, they have a biblical mandate. In fact, they are called something very specific and very special in Romans 13 and I’d love for you to share with our listeners what that is.
Gary Dull: Well, David they’re called the ministers of God. In fact, I’ll just read the verse of Scripture. It’s Romans 13:4 where it’s talking about those who are in government and of course, the police really, they are a part of the government. It says this, “He is the minister of God to thee for good, But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”
Gary Dull: Now, what we see in there is the fact that God has given to the police officer, a commission, and that is to be God’s minister to support that which is good, and as I’ve often said, to be a terror to evil, because you go back to verse three, it says, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.” Again, talking about those who are in government. Of course that does apply to the police officers.
Gary Dull: When a police officer is out there on the streets of the city, or out in the country side fulfilling his or her duty and responsibility, he’s doing it as under God’s direction. I think it’s very important for those of us who are parents and otherwise, to take every opportunity that we can to teach our children, to teach children in general, why police are there. You know, Dave, when I was growing up, there was a great respect for the police officers. It seems like there’s been a period of time when that respect has been lost. I think that those of us who are Christians, based upon what it teaches us here in Romans 13, should do everything that we possibly can to remind children and others of the significance of the police officer, why the police officer is there and to support that police officer and pray for him and her.
Gary Dull: Dave, this is not only the case here in the United States of America. When I was over in Kenya just a couple of months ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a delegation of the Nairobi police. It’s interesting how many of those individuals knew the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, and when I shared with them the Word of God and prayed with them, some of them were in tears, because whether it’s here in the states or over in Africa, or Europe, every police officer has the same responsibility to stand for God, for good.
Gary Dull: We need to pray for them, we need to support them, we need to encourage them. I think God’s going to be honored by that type of action.
Dave Kistler: Gary, I couldn’t agree more and that admonition was one that was very well made. It matters not the name of the country, it matters not the geographical location, it matters not the color of the skin of the officer. What matters is they are a representative of God, for good, as Romans 13 says. That places a heavy burden on them to understand their responsibility, but it also places a heavy responsibility on us, the recipients of what they do, the beneficiaries of what they do to show the appropriate respect.
Dave Kistler: Keith, I know having been in Washington D.C. being a part of this National Law Enforcement week, or National Police Week, as it’s sometimes colloquially called, you have heard some phenomenal stories, you have met some incredible people. Is there anything that stands out to you? Maybe some story you’ve heard? Some person you’ve met? Some act of heroism committed that you can share with our listeners today, that would kind of underscore for us how much we need to respect, and revere those who serve in law enforcement.
Keith Davidson: Yes sir. Dave, Gary, we’ve heard a lot of different things. One that’s just on my heart, it’s not necessarily the officer himself, but the father of the officer that we sometimes forget about. Pastor Bob was there, of course part of our goal was to pray with families and so forth. He met a father and asked him about, did he lose someone in his family? He really, strongly and bitterly said, “I lost my son,” he said, “And the gentleman that took his life was a 15 year old boy,” and he said, “You know, if I had 15 minutes in a room with him, I would straighten that out.”
Keith Davidson: Of course, brother Bob took him to Romans 12:19 where it talks about the Lord says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay ye, saith the Lord.” He was carrying that, harboring that in his heart, that he almost couldn’t breathe, and couldn’t live, and pastor Bob shared with him about that God is in control of these things, and that he could turn that over to God and let God take care of that. The man began to weep, not cry, but just weep there in front of him.
Keith Davidson: There’s an element that happens outside of that police officer themselves, as we see as hero’s, which they absolutely are, but there’s a family support unit behind that, that really is also paying that ultimate price. That’s one of the things that stuck in my heart.
Keith Davidson: Then we met a young lady who is now in college who lost her father about five years ago, and her and her mother and sisters were putting together and made thank you flowers, little cards out of some type of paper and they were going all along the crowd. Now this was the candlelight vigil that we were part of Sunday night, and going to hundreds of officers and people and saying, “Thank you for your service and for your sacrifice.” She would have had the opportunity to be well to be bitter, but by her Christian faith, she was thanking them even though her loss she had experienced was just huge.
Keith Davidson: Those two things really made an impact. Then a couple we found, an officer in Spokane, Washington. A lady’s car hit a bump in the road and vehicle suffered some mechanical meltdowns and stuff. It was a problem and then she was in the front seat, the car burst into flames, she climbed in the back, the officer arrived on the scene and just went … poured it all in. Tim was his name and from the Spokane Police Department. He had his baton in hand and he was beating on the rear window to get her out and barely just got her out in the nick of time. She was just elated by that. She said, just God bless him, he didn’t give up.
Keith Davidson: I think that’s a story of many of our officers, they just don’t give up. They have a calling. As brother Gary mentioned earlier, to accomplish some great things. Ministers of God.
Dave Kistler: Gary, you know what Keith has just shared is not just moving, but it is [inaudible 00:29:06] of the fact that this is a community that needs not just our thanks, but they need our ministry. Gary, you’re a preacher of the Gospel, you’ve had opportunities to minister on many occasions. Not just honoring those in the church services, not just recognizing them and expressing appreciation, but on a one on one level to minister to the hurting. Talk about that just for a second before we have to end this segment.
Gary Dull: Well Dave, I think that that’s very significant that we do what we can to reach out to them and minister to them. There is one fellow who I know, who is a state policeman here in Pennsylvania. I pray for him every day and every time I see him or his wife, I remind them that every day they’re in my prayers. I think that we must do that, because you know, a good officer of the law does never give up, even if it means to die. They need our support and prayer and encouragement.
Dave Kistler: Well gentlemen, I want to go here in this final segment. We often call this our solution segment, so I want to talk about some specific things we can do that’s in line with our topic today, “Honor to whom Honor is Due.” How can we show appropriate fitting honor, respect for the men and women in law enforcement that have taken such a hit over the last eight years? I thank God it is changing, and has changed to a sizable degree under this administration, but what are some things that we the American public can do to honor those that serve in law enforcement. May I start by suggesting this, and I’m not always able to do it, but down through the years when I’ve been financially able, I have tried to do it both with men and women, and military uniform as well as those that serve in law enforcement.
Dave Kistler: That is if I’m eating out at a restaurant, and I see a police officer, or a group of police officers, or men and women that are serving in some branch of the United States military, if I can do it, I’ll say to the waitress, or to the waiter, just give me their bill, their ticket, and just tell them it’s from a grateful American.
Dave Kistler: Could I encourage you to do something like that as you have occasion to do so, just to let those in law enforcement that you greatly appreciate them. Then if I have a Gospel booklet like the ones brother Keith produces. If I see a group sitting maybe in a restaurant somewhere, I’ll walk over and hand them a military booklet or a police officer booklet, say, “I just want to thank you for what you do and serving our country, and serving us the American people, keeping us safe. Your commitment to your calling, not just a profession, but to your calling, and it is always very, very, well received.”
Dave Kistler: Keith, let me go to you. Give us and give our listeners maybe some suggestions, very practical ways they could show honor and respect to those that are service and law enforcement.
Keith Davidson: Yes Dave, and what you just suggested is a huge, huge blessing to them. I think one of the things we do especially is if you see an officer, security guard, it doesn’t matter who, a federal agent, anyone that you see, border patrol, making an effort to get to them, and shake their hand and say, “Thank you for what you do.” That really encourages them. They feel so much negativity, but if we go up and shake their hands and give them a track or give them a Scripture, or as brother Gary suggested earlier, he should have prayed before he got his ticket, but if you pray-
Gary Dull: I did. It didn’t work.
Keith Davidson: … there you go. Ask them is there something they can pray with you about. Another thing I like to do is when you see an officer with their family, thank the wife and their children as well, because it’s a family unit that’s actually in that service. One other thing that brought that to mind with me during this candlelight vigil was seeing all the families and hearing some of the stories, but we also had some men from London, we had some from Switzerland, met an officer from Brazil, South America who came over for this memorial service. Of course, it’s a national thing for us, but they look to America as leadership, so I think if we can portray Christ to them, through our law enforcement to our law enforcement, we can be a blessing to them, but just slip them a note, shaking hands, or you catch them out.
Keith Davidson: Now you have to walk up cautiously, because they’re always suspicious, but look them in the eye, smile, and say, “I appreciate what you do, I’m praying for you, is there anything I can pray about?” Just be an encouragement I think is a great thing.
Dave Kistler: You know one of the things that I notice that my son Nathan does on Capital Hill, every time he walks in the Capital building, every time he walks in the Supreme court, every time he encounters an officer, Capital Hill police officer, D.C. Metro police officer, he always takes a few seconds to say, “Thank you officer for what you do. We appreciate you so very much,” and the responses he gets are sometimes almost overwhelming. The appreciation.
Dave Kistler: Gary, I want you to do two things. I want you to follow up on what Keith shared, because those are great suggestions of ways we can give honor to whom honors are due. Talk about maybe some other specifics and things you’ve done, you’ve seen, that can be added to the suggestions that Keith has made. Then what I’d love for you to do is pray as we close the program, for our men and women in blue. They are on the front lines, they need our prayers, they need to prayers of a grateful nation as well.
Gary Dull: Well, they do and of course I would encourage every parent to teach their children to respect the officers. Like you said Dave, there’s going to be a bad apple somewhere here and there, but most of them are out there because they want to strengthen the community, so let’s teach our children and grandchildren, let’s encourage our officers. It’s true, that every time you go up to an officer and thank him or thank her, their whole department changes in the sense that their faces light up. They just appreciate it very, very much. Pray for them, thank them, offer to serve them when you can.
Gary Dull: You know, Dave, I don’t know if I’ve ever told this to you or not and I’m not necessarily suggesting it, but I remember years ago up in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, I was getting gasoline and an officer got himself involved in a scuffle there with a man and a woman. As he was beating the man or trying to contain the man, I should say, the woman came over and tried to get the gun out of the officer’s holster, and she was going to pull it on him.
Gary Dull: Well, I went over and got the lady and pulled her away and she had the gun by that time, I got the gun off of her hand and then just stood there holding the gun. Then the officer took care of the fellow and took his gun back and settled the situation. Every time I pass that gasoline station I remember that. I’m not saying that you should do that ladies and gentlemen, but anyway that you can help out a police officer, please do it.
Gary Dull: I probably did that because I was a little nuts, but you know, if I wouldn’t have done that, who knows how it might have turned out. Just something to think of.
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