Yesterday afternoon, it was a partly cloudy to mostly cloudy day in Central Pennsylvania. It was a day with a little bit of much-need rain. The quiet, countryside rural scene was penetrated with the sound of gunfire and violence.
We’ve become numb because we hear these stories all the time, of multiple murders. This one strikes our community and touches us much more personally. It captures our attention, as it does all of those whenever these violent acts happen.
It causes us to mourn and grieve. It’s human to grieve, it’s human to mourn. Ecclesiastes says, “There’s a time to mourn,” and this is certainly a time to mourn. We have much to reflect upon in this moment.
There is also that sense of loss and confusion. How could these good men, serving our communities selflessly – having done so throughout their years of service – who were in a very vulnerable way trying to protect others – have their lives taken so suddenly? In two minutes time, gone from us.
It doesn’t make any sense, but we know that this reality pierces our experience. There are some concentric circles that flow from that: sadness of family members and loved ones, first of all, and of others in the community; in a particular way, others who serve in law enforcement and as first responders, those who put their lives on the line every day. They do it because they believe in their call that they want to be servants to others. How can we ever thank them enough?
We are touched by this moment and we’re here tonight because of that. As people of faith, we also know that even in the midst of mourning and grieving, outrage and anger and questioning – we know that God is with us. Our God is always close to the brokenhearted. He is with us in our need and our vulnerability. In this moment, we renew our faith in God.
As Christians, we know that’s a renewal of our faith in Jesus Christ, in who He is and what He did for us in the most perfect and powerful expression of the love of God that human history has ever seen.
He speaks about what He’s doing in the Gospel just proclaimed (John 6:37-40). He gives us great confidence and consolation: “Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me.” He announces what He came for: “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but to do the will of the One who sent me.” He continues, saying that He would lose Himself so that He would not lose anyone, and they would be raised on the last day, and everyone who receives the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life.
This is the first proclamation, this is the truth that we center our faith on. Jesus gave his life for us because He loves us all. We think of Det. Sgt. Cody Becker, Det. Mark Baker and Det. Isaiah Emenheiser. Jesus loves them more than they will ever know. We confidently entrust them to the love of God.
We’re also invited to experience this renewed confidence for ourselves, to recommit to God as the center of our lives. If God fails to be at the center of our lives, everything starts to go wild, and that’s what underlines so much of the great evil that we see unfolding around us all too often.
God must be our center. Our faith in Him has to set the agenda for our lives, all of our priorities. The men who gave their lives and those who were injured, our first responders and all of those who serve us in law enforcement, they do this every day in putting their lives, at risk, into the hands of God.
In the Scriptures, we hear from the Prophet Daniel (12:1-3) in our first reading and he gives great consolation: “At a time there will arise Michael, the great prince, the guardian of your people.” In Catholic Tradition, Michael the Archangel is the patron saint of those who serve us in law enforcement. “It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since the nation began until that time,” Daniel continues.
How often, in the thousands of years since this was written, have people said, “This must be that time.” We feel it. We glimpse it in moments like this. But we can also be confident that the story doesn’t end with these distressful moments. “Those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake and shall live forever. Their bodies shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament.” We are created for this: “Those who lead the many to justice “shall be like the stars forever.”
We entrust these detectives and all who give their lives in service to others to that truth of our faith, because they lead so many to justice. They too shall shine like the stars forever.
St. John, in the second reading (1 John 3:1-2), reminds us that we are God’s children now. God loves us, God is close to us. That’s why Jesus was born and came into the world, to save us. He continues to do that, and He does it especially when we need Him the most. We open our hearts to that more and more, and not just today but every day.
“See what love the Father has bestowed on us.” John continues, “What we shall later be has not yet come to light. But when it is revealed, we shall be like Him. We shall see Him as He is.”
I can’t help but think that in the selfless acts of those law enforcement officers selflessly giving themselves to us in service in that situation, we get a glimpse of who God is.
Yes, what will be has not yet been revealed, but we get glimpses of it. We get glimpses of other people who selflessly serve. That changes us. I think it opens us up to a renewal of centering our lives on God and reclaiming God’s purpose for our lives. These men who died, these men who were injured, and the men and women who serve us this way, they clearly were made for a purpose. God has a purpose for all of us. We have to recognize that, claim it and let God speak to us and guide us.
And yes, our faith invites us to pray. Pray we must. We must pray constantly, pray ceaselessly. That keeps us focused on God and on our dependence upon God. Pray for the officers. Pray for their families. Pray for first responders. Pray for all who are suffering because of violence, here and elsewhere throughout the world.
We need to be open to being challenged by the witness and the example of the fallen officers. John said, “We shall see Him as He is.” When is that witnessed? In selflessness, sacrifice and the good of others.
How could we ever thank our brothers and sisters who serve us in this way? It is an occasion to go out of our way and say, “Thank you for what you do.” We can never take them for granted. We need to pray for them as they seek to lead others to justice “and shall be like stars forever.” We know how God appreciates them; we need to appreciate them.
Be open to how the Holy Spirit could be prompting us to be more Christ-like. Let the words of the Gospel shape us a bit more, to be more like Christ, so that people can glimpse a revelation of Jesus as He is in us. In moments when we feel so vulnerable, I think the Holy Spirit wants us to be more Christ-like in our gentleness with one another, our tenderness and respect for each other, especially in the face of so much violence. Let our common vulnerability and experience of suffering and sadness soften some of the rough edges. Our gentleness and tenderness can bring us to greater patience with each other, and listening to how the Lord may be calling us to reflect Him more fully.
There is time to mourn. We can’t lose sight of that. Focus on how our faith in God can help us through this time and help us in centering our lives always on Him. It’s a day-to-day task, especially in moments such as this. Continue to pray. Be challenged by the witness of those who have given their lives. Remember these fallen servants: Det. Sgt. Cody Becker, Det. Mark Baker and Det. Isaiah Emenheiser. Each one of them rose like Michael, the great prince, as guardians of the people. Those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
