I underwent the initial training to serve as a volunteer law enforcement chaplain almost exactly 20 years ago.  One of the department’s deputy chiefs reminded us that the officers serving in the field would at some point be calling on us to minister to someone who was the perpetrator in the a criminal event.  In other words, the person that the chaplain automatically views as the victim could very well be the perpetrator instead.  The chief was right.

In 1990, I was riding with an officer when he was dispatched to a call of a baby not breathing.  The child’s mother was standing outside of her apartment screaming about the bathtub.  While the officer I was with checked the bathtub, I found the deceased 13-month-old child lying on a bed.  My immediate thought was to comfort the child’s mother.  But I quickly ascertained that it was the mother who had placed the helpless baby in scalding water in the tub.  The chief was right.
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There have been other instances over the span of 20 years where the person I was called to serve was an instigator in the situation at hand.  It is always wise to use extreme caution, but it is also unfair to make premature judgment calls.  I am glad that the chief gave us some forewarning about such instances, but he failed to give us a balanced picture.  He did not tell us everything.

I have been called on to minister to some incredibly good people over the years.  There has been no shortage of opportunity to serve people who have been vicitms of awful crimes.  Every year brings opportunities to reach out to those impacted by tragic events.  Several of those families will always stand out to me.  Just this week I met some very nice people impacted by the suicide of a loved one.  The deputy chief doing our training in 1990 did not tell us that about the people who would impact our lives forever.

I got a call earlier today from my dear friend, Scott Dix.   He and his wife, Lori, along with their youngest daughter, Brianna, came by the house this afternoon.   He brought a music cd that was put together in memory of his and Lori’s precious daugther, Alyssa.  Alyssa was killed about 2 miles from my home on March 3, 2008 in a car accident.  She had just celebrated her 16th birthday.  When the Granbury Police Department called me to assist their officers in serving the Dix family, I had no idea what impact it would make in my life.

I have had the distinct privilege of enjoying several meals with Scott since that time.  I always walk away from those times feeling inspired.  Scott is a natural encourager.  His faith and his love for people continue to amaze me.  He has also made an impact on the officers responsible for investigating the crash that took Alyssa’s life.  The chief did not tell us about people like Scott during our training experience. He was a veteran officer.  Surely he had encountered people of Scott’s caliber during the course of his career.  Maybe he wanted us to be surprised. I am actually glad that such information was withheld from us during our initial training.  Being surprised is a good thing.  After Scott and his family left today, I felt particularly inspired to start my 21st year of service in this field.  And that is a good thing… I believe I like surprises.