Matthew Fowler's Blog
Lessons from the hood part 2 / Feb 21, 01:01 PM
warning this entry probably won’t make sense without reading Lessons from the Hood part 1
As if God hadn’t already taught me enough from my experience with the police…
After dealing with the police officers I called our city director to let him know what had just happened. One of the first questions he asked me was if I had thanked them for doing their job. Inside my head I was screaming “Thank them, they were belligerent, demeaning, racist jerks, why would I thank them. More over I’m hoping they get fired because they aren’t doing their job and the “job” they are doing isn’t helping anyone.” But long after our conversation that question haunted me.
As I reflected on the incident and gained some distance and prospective my anger changed into something different. I thought about what it was to be these cops, to be working in 12 hour shifts and making very little money, to only be called when bad things happen so therefore only get to experience the bad side of the community, to know everyone around them hates them and isn’t appreciative of what they do, and with every call to fear being shot and killed. And in thinking about that I began to pity the police officers more than be mad at them. They would never get to know the sweet old lady behind our house that constantly makes us food. Or the neighbor two houses down that lets us borrow everything from baking supplies to movies. They never get to see God working in this neighborhood.
In that realization my city director’s question made sense. Did you thank them for doing their job, because unless you act different towards them, unless you shock them with a flagrant act of kindness they will never see the good, they will never see God’s work and they’ll never change their approach. It’s simply a question of what will we choose to do when others hurt us, when they insult us, when they treat us like something we aren’t. Will we respond out of our pain, anger, and even hate, perpetuating the cycle of pain, anger, and hate? Or will we respond out of Jesus’ love, and through doing so show God’s love?
Just a couple nights ago I gave a talk to the high school youth group kids at my church based on my experiences with the police and Jesus’ experience with his hometown (Mark 6: 1-13). I asked them to think about how they respond when people try to say they are something their not? I asked them if they were grounded enough in who God had created them to be that they didn’t let it bother them? I had them look at Jesus response how even though he was upset and hurt, he chooses to react in love, instead of anger or pride or sadness or vengefulness. I asked them to compare that to their own responses and see how it measured up. And finally I challenged them to find a way to do the uncommon thing; to not only avoid swinging back with words, fists, or gestures, but to respond in love. Because, like with my police officers, if we don’t respond with the outrageous love of God they may never experience it. And so those are the challenges I issue to you who are reading this as well.
It is amazing when I think about it how God took a bad situation and not only taught me so much from it but also equipped me with a story to teach others.
4 Comments
Leave a Comment...
Read more of Matthew Fowler's Blogs.
WOW. That is an AMAZING story. I had never thought of that before and could never think to be in such a situation. Praise God for opening your eyes and heart, giving you the words to write it, so that others like myself may see a different side. Thanks for sharing-it really was very powerful. An idea: Maybe bringing the cops cookies/brownies or something to thank them or inviting them to dinner to Meet your sweet neighbors?
By Tera / Feb 22, 01:28 PM / #
wow, what a story… i have a letter for you but lost your addess! help me out??
By steph / Feb 22, 04:36 PM / #
Hey Matt! I’m sorry I haven’t written you. I’ve read everything you’ve sent, but each time I sit down to actually write a letter, I get distracted and the massive amounts of work hover over me. The two parts to this story really reflect growth and I hope that I learn to apply this to my life without having to be reminded.
By Karl / Mar 27, 10:47 PM / #
Gday namesake!
Like what I see you have written. A good honest path.
Cheers, Matthew
By Matthew Fowler / Apr 28, 03:33 PM / #