One day, the members from the Baltimore Church gathered at the Fraternal Order of Police Hall in Crownsville. Some of them had arrived earlier than the appointment time, unpacked the things they had brought there, and started to work in earnest. We were there to serve an appreciation dinner to local police officers who were working hard day and night. The dull and empty space turned into a beautiful place like an elegant wedding hall when the members’ hands touched it.
When the time of the event was near, the hall was crowded with police officers. Some of them came with their families, and some came during a break from work. Then suddenly a siren rang and seven to eight officers ran outside immediately upon receiving a radio message. Unlike us who were embarrassed, the officers acted as if nothing had happened; they seemed familiar with this kind of situation. Seeing them do their best to fulfill their duties, without even having a moment to spare, we came to have respect for them.
The police chief and all the other police officers, who were present at the event, watched our church promo video and laughed like children while eating the food that the members had made wholeheartedly. They were particularly impressed by the appreciation messages written by our student brothers and sisters, and said “thank you” over and over again. Even after the event was over, they were reluctant to leave the hall. We promised to meet again at the next event, and then we parted ways.
We used to think it would not be easy to get close to police officers because they always looked tense and stiff. Through this event, however, we felt friendly toward them and there’s no distance between us. We committed ourselves to preaching the gospel more fervently to keep people’s souls safe and secure, like police officers working hard to ensure the safety of their neighbors and communities.