POLICE CHAPLAIN’S PERSPECTIVE: STAYING THE COURSE
/POLICE CHAPLAIN’S PERSPECTIVE: STAYING THE COURSE
By: Chris Amos
The other day I was walking down the street and stumbled across an empty McDonald’s cup lying in the gutter. A few steps later was an empty Mickey D’s bag. As I stopped to pick up both, I was struck by a brilliant idea.“I bet,” I thought,“I can use the cup and bag and construct my own McDonald’s. If I’m lucky, I might not even have to pay the multimillion-dollar franchise fees. I mean after all the bag and cup had been thrown away, finder’s keepers, right?”
What a knuckleheaded thought you might be thinking. I’m talking like on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being genius, your thinking process is like negative a gazillion. I mean stupid can’t even begin to describe how unbrilliant your thought was. And yet, when I see the unhinged hatred directed toward Law Enforcement Officers, in 2020 it was Local Law Enforcement in 2026 it’s Federal, I can’t help but think this is equally idiotic. Think about it for a second, Law Enforcement has conservatively, 1 million+ interactions with citizens daily, and more than 99.99% take place with not so much as a yawn. Yet in the case of the current riots in Minnesota, those intent on tearing down America, find a handful of instances out of millions and set out to construct a narrative that would be laughable if it weren’t so dangerous. And what is that narrative you ask? ICE, CBP, and anyone who supports or works with them are evilnazis, white supremist thugs, that to many aredeserving of death. Worse yet, people actually buy this narrative!
For the record, I was a city police officer for almost 27 years and unashamedly support the men and women of Law Enforcement, at every level. I alsohave been serving as a pastorfor almost 30 years and am a strong believer in grace, redemption, and second chances. You see it’s not an either-or proposition, as some would like us to believe. One can believe in law and order while at the same time exercisegrace and mercy.
Speaking of Law Enforcement, are LEOs perfect, no. Do they make mistakes, yes. Are some of those mistakes criminal and worthy of arrest, yes. But just as I’m not going to build a McDonald’s with a discarded plastic cup and paper bag and I’m not going to dismantle, defund, or seek to destroy ICE and CBP because of a handful of incidents,serious though they may be, out of tens of thousands of daily uneventful interactions with citizens. I mean the reasoning is idiotic. To go one step further, using this rationale would result in the dismantling of America as we know it, from law enforcement to transportation to the medical field to commerce to education, everything. EXACTLY!
Perhaps the only thing even more insane than this is to surround a bunch of Federal Agents, who are kitted out in tactical gear searching for a murder suspect or pedophile, and then proceed to yell, scream, and blow whistles in their faces. Can you imagine sending your loved one off to surgery for a quadruple bypass only to hear a bunch of yelling, screaming, and whistle blowing coming from the operating room. I can promise you I would gladly assist in physically removing those people from that room, allowing the surgeon to concentrate on the work at hand. Or how about boarding a plane knowing that from takeoff to landing the pilots would face the same dangerous distractions. It is unhinged insanity!
When I look at the ongoing chaos in Minnesota, I see a lot of folks trying to construct aMcDonalds using a cup and bag. I also see hundreds of LEOs trying to uphold their oath, to serve and protect. They have been doing so long before the 2020 and 2026 riots in Minnesota and will be upholding that oath long after Minnesota has served its purpose and is tossed to the side. The paid professional protesters will cause as much division, discontent, and destruction in Minnesota as possible before they will be given their marching orders and a bus ticket to move on to the next city or town and start the process all over again… rinse and repeat.
More people will be hurt and probably needlessly die; and pedophiles, rapists, murderers, human sex traffickers, drug dealers, and others will enjoy another day free to prey on innocent victims, shielded by politicians and thewell-trained, professional mob. How can one explain the rationale behind interfering with Law Enforcement Officers just doing their jobs? What I see are the actions of people that have a greater hatred for America and POTUS Trump, than they have love and concern for their neighbors, communities, and for some, their very lives. Or perhaps they have discovered, being a professional protester pays the bills.
The Bible has a name for this, the spirit of antichrist.
It is a spirit that thrives on fear and lawlessness. It sows the seeds of confusion, professing right to be wrong, and wrong right. Righteousness to be evil, and evil righteous. Admirable conduct to be deplorable and abhorrent behavior and conduct to be admirable. The spirit of antichrist doesn’t question authority, it seeks to undermine authority, with the goal of toppling that authority. Ironically, this hatred of authority itself is mandated byahigher authority. But those who adhere to these orders are so delusional they are unable to see just how completely manipulated they have become.
In time, we pray that perhaps their eyes will be opened, but such revelation would require a degree of humility and remorse that not many folks possess. For those who are incapable of humbly acknowledging the error of their ways, the next step can be irreversible, The Bible calls it a seared conscience. In other words, no way out and no way back! To interrupt a church service and scream profanities while mocking the very faith of those in attendance, including children, is what a seared conscience looks like in case you are wondering.
Meanwhile, the men and women of law enforcement continue with their mission. They have chosen to face the mob, so that their spouses, their children, their extended family and friends, softball teammates, and small group buddies will not have to. We have heard that many in the military sought to fight the enemy on the other side of the world so that their loved ones would not have to do so here. Sadly, the enemy on the other side of the world is now here and feels safe in revealing itself, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” [EPHESIANS 6:12] Having front row seats to this darkness and wickedness, many Law Enforcement Officers, are driven to face this enemy on the streets and in the alleys of America, in hopes that their loved ones will not have to. These LEOs gain strength, encouragement, and motivation from their families, friends, peers and hopefully from knowing,the vast majority of Americans are in their corner. At the end of the day, we must spiritually stand in the gap for these Law Enforcement Officers who have chosen to physically stand in the gap for us, 24/7!
If you are a Law Enforcement Officer that happens to come across this article, please know that while there are knuckleheads that wear the gun and badge, I came across one or two over my almost 27 years as a city cop, we know the VAST majority of you do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons.
The Bible encourages us, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” [GALATIANS 6:9] While this speaks to the Christian, I can’t help but think the principle applies to those men and women ordained, anointed, and appointed by God to serve as Law Enforcement Officers. [ROMANS 13:1-4]
In other words, Friends, do not give up. Keep fighting the good fight. The Spirit of Jesus Christ will ultimately defeat the spirit of antichrist. Just as Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the grave so too will He conquer the forces of darkness, deception, wickedness, and destruction at work now! Of this I am absolutely sure!
Until then, Be safe, God Bless, and…
See you at the finish line!
Chris Amos is a retired officer and former spokesperson for the Norfolk Virginia Police Department. He is currently the pastor at Chr1st Fellowship Church in Norfolk. He is married for over 30 years and is the proud father of three children, two of whom are police officers. He serves as the volunteer Chaplain for Norfolk Police Dept. and Norfolk Sheriff’s Office.
