DRIBBLES AND DRABS

DRIBBLES AND DRABS

This is how things happen. Let me tell you 2 of my own stories.

#1 Thirty years ago, my sons (15 and 12 years old) and I would play basketball at a local park in a small coastal town. The court had a fence around it (to keep the ball from going into the street), and a sign that stated the rules of the court. One of the rules was, No Profanity.

My boys were use to witnessing and use to confronting open sin, because they had seen me address various kinds of issues. When some of the young men started to use profanity, my sons shared with them that they should not be using that kind of language. The foul mouths continued to spew their filth as we played.

I finally held the ball and started talking to them about their need for Christ. They just taunted me. They could not believe I would stop the game and hold the ball. I eventually bowed in prayer and asked God to speak to these young men (while they scoffed). They were not dissuaded from their evil communication.

I walked over to a nearby home, which I knew was the home of a local cop. He was not home, so I asked someone to call the police, since I could see that we were headed for trouble. I returned to the basketball court, and the problem escalated.

Shortly a cruiser with a couple of officers arrived. I met them outside of the fenced area. The officer in charge knew who I was, since I was a very active pastor in the area. He asked me what was wrong, and I explained the whole situation. The cop suggested that I and my sons leave the area. I pointed to the city sign and said that the law did not allow them to use profanity, that my leaving would not help them or the other boys who would still be left with the trouble makers. The officer said it would be better if I left, because two of these men were real trouble and very dangerous. One of the thugs had been in prison for murder and another had been in for other violent crimes. Again, the officer said it would be better for me and my boys to leave. I said, "No". I said that we were not breaking any laws; that the other guys were the violators and that it would be wrong to surrender a public park into the hands of thugs.

Reluctantly the cop approached the trouble makers and told them that they would either need to leave or change their language. The cops drove away and we continued to play without incident. The cop should have never hesitated to uphold the law and to subdue the actual perpetrators. But he did. He should have never told me that I should surrender my rights, but he did.

#2 On another occasion, after a midweek service I stopped at a local convenient store. As we pulled into the parking area, we saw a man acting very suspicious, and was actually hiding something at the side of the building. I told my family to stay in the car as I went into the store for some grocery items. I asked a very upset clerk if he was having a problem and he told me he believed someone had stolen cigarettes. I told him he might find them at the side of the building. Of course, he did. He asked if I had seen the man outside hide the items. I told him yes. He told the man (whom he knew) not to leave the parking lot, and then he called the police.

Very soon a cruiser pulled up. The officer spoke to the man outside and then came into the store. He asked me what I had seen and I told him. He encouraged the store clerk it would be better for him to forget the incident, and told me I should not put myself into a dangerous situation. He explained that the man outside had been in prison for murder (yes, another man, same problem) and said I should just back down. I said I would not.

The cop brought the thief into the store and told him that he was being accused stealing and that I was a witness to his hiding the goods. The man had a stick in his hand and started toward me. I stood my ground, expecting a crack up side the head, and wondering why the policeman did not step in to protect me. Thankfully God did not abandon me. I stood my ground and witnessed to the man (as he became more and more hostile), and I invited him to come visit our church, since he needed Jesus. The store clerk did not press charges, and the thief left the store, unhappy, but at least he was not in cuffs.

But that is not the end of the story.

Not long after this happened I was preaching in an evening service. I saw this thief come into the sanctuary and sit toward the back. I told an usher to watch him because I knew it could be a problem. I greeted him from the pulpit and welcomed him to our service.

I finished the service and then made a beeline to talk to our visitor. I told him how glad I was that he came. We sat outside and talked for a long time. Sure enough, he had not been out of prison for very long and was needing a new start. Our church had recently been given a mobile home, which needed some work in order to get power and water. I actually had a man inside the church that night who was staying in the trailer. I told this parishioner about the new guy who needed a place to stay. I told him about the new guys background and could not promise my friend that he would be safe. I then said it would be up to him if the new guy could stay with him a couple of nights, just to get him off of the street. My parishioner said it would be fine.

HERE IS THE POINT.
Law enforcement should have never started giving allowance to law breakers and telling good citizens, telling Christian people, that we should give space to the crooks in society. I should have never been told to accommodate the bad guys, even if they were convicted murderers. As it turned out, that approach to law enforcement has resulted in law keeping citizens being oppressed, and the law breakers are now killing the law officers. When there is a break down in morality, and law enforcement, and rejection of Christian standards, then the whole of social well being is undermined.