Running Into A Friend

Running into people before dawn is unlikely.

Predawn is a time of silence and solitude; fewer people stirring; fewer demands tugging.  Anyone in motion is probably on a mission, and my mission was to read the Word at 6 AM.

Cops enjoy the Word but they also enjoy food.  While stopping in the kitchen to set up the donuts, coffee and apples, I ran into a friend.  The room was empty but my friend's handiwork howled on the table: dozens of edibles.  A handwritten note confirmed his identity.  Though I was the only one standing in the room, I was not alone.

The greeting card connected me to a friend and his wife; to their four children and church staff.  Before dawn, Kingdom Life Church demonstrated the scripture I would read over a platoon just a few seconds later:

Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative's house when disaster strikes you -- better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.  ~ Proverbs 27:10

Disaster struck on July 7, 2016 when Micah Xavier Johnson ambushed police officers in Dallas, TX, killing five and injuring nine.  Shots rang at the end of a Black Lives Matter protest against the police killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.  The pastor of Kingdom Life Church attended Dallas Theological Seminary.

He leads a church family with members of differing points of view.  Some of his members may bristle, and others cheer, at the thought of blessing officers.  The Church of Jesus Christ leaves room for differing opinions.   In predawn stillness, near a bountiful table, yet another Friend spoke.

Jesus is described as a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  He promised never to leave, nor foresake, and calls us friends.  Reciprocity is woven into friendship and a crowded table silently instructed.

The Kingdom Life Church family filled a room with goodness in reciprocity to the Savior.  They are more grateful for what Jesus has done than for what cops do.  His life ended unjustly, yet with His last breath, he forgave.  His Resurrection demonstrated a power greater than the grave.  The Gospels reveal that His friends approached a grave, before dawn, with more questions than answers.

Before dawn, I bumped into a friend through his handiwork.  His decision to minister was much like your decision to read this entire post and the team's decision to serve among cops.  We proceed, hoping to bump into a Friend as we go.