June 2010 Minister's Message
Created on Tuesday, 01 June 2010 11:03
It was a cold, wintry night when he first reported for duty with the Police Service. His uniform was brand spanking new and the silver buttons were bright and shiny. The creases in his trousers were razor sharp. The black and white chequered band on his cap was eye-catching and his shoes were brilliantly polished. Needless to say his appearance drew some disparaging comments from some of the ‘old soldiers’ who had been in the job for many years and who felt that experience was far more important than smart presentation.
During his first two years in the police service, he was on Probation which meant always being accompanied by a more senior Constable whose task was to watch over his shoulder and make sure that he did nothing too stupid.
Two years later, the day finally came when his Probation was completed and he was let loose on the public unaccompanied. That was when the realities of police work really hit him. He was now on his own on nightshifts when he had to check the rear of shops and high-value property - dark places in the centre of the City - where criminals might be lurking, having been disturbed in their attempts to break in and steal. He was in a quandary on those occasions. Should he switch on his torch so that he could see where he was going or should he leave it switched off so that criminals would not be alerted to his approach? Should he turn his radio receiver volume up so that he could be sure that he was still in contact with headquarters and his fellow officers or should he turn the volume down so that criminals would not hear him coming? If he heard a suspicious noise should he immediately summon assistance and accept the inevitable ridicule if it turned out to be only a cat rummaging in a dustbin or should he risk his own safety and investigate the noise without additional help. Somehow he survived his time in the Police Service and now, over thirty five years later, all the adventures he experienced are just memories. But he is still faced with similar decisions about his radio, his torch and his requirements for assistance.He is a Christian now and his torch is now his faith. It is easy for him to let his torch shine brightly inside the Church because he knows that everyone there shares his beliefs but outside, in the big bad world, it’s a bit more difficult. His torch gives him away. People recognise that he is different from some of them and they don’t necessarily like it. He is tempted to switch his torch off and blend in with the crowd to avoid being identified as a ‘Holy Willie’ or a ‘Bible Thumper’.
He no longer carries a radio but he still receives messages and instructions just as he did in the Police Service. This time the messages come from God. He still has the option to turn the volume down but he knows that he should not do that. He knows that the louder he can make God’s messages sound, the better. Once again that is not always an easy thing to do outside the Church but it is what Jesus asked all Christians to do.He can still call for help when he feels he needs it and is never criticised for doing so, even when the danger or problem was more imagined than real. He knows that God is always with him and is ready to lend a hand when things get a bit rough. He also knows that his colleagues, fellow Christians, are never far away and that they too will leap to his assistance when required.
These experiences are not unique to that former Policeman. All Christians share the same concerns as him to a greater or lesser extent. They all have to decide how brightly to shine their torches in particular situations and how loudly to allow God’s messages to be proclaimed through them.Do you have the courage and strength to walk into situations which make you feel uncomfortable or vulnerable whilst working on God’s behalf? Are you willing to shine your torch brightly and to turn up the volume in such difficult situations? Are you a true Christian?
This story is true. I know. I was that Police Constable.
Dougie Walker
