Today, February 28th, Christian County and representative law enforcement officers from all over the United States will participate in the funeral of slain Christian County sheriff deputies who lost their lives in service to our county, Deputies Gabriel Ramirez (30) and Michael Hislope (40). Today, as this funeral takes place at 1:00 pm at James River Church, our entire community mourns with these families and their fellow brothers and sisters in law enforcement, along with their families. We lament the evil that caused these senseless deaths. We come together to support each other.

As the community comes together, there are three primary options of participating: trying to be part of the funeral audience to pay respects, line the processional route from the church to the funeral home afterwards, or watch the service and procession live locally on KY3. As families, what should we do? For some, the decision will be to line the processional route (which will follow the primary Christmas parade route). For many, it will be to watch online or TV. For a few, it will be to attend.

Should we go?

Of course, not everyone can go. Many will not have the opportunity for various reasons; however, if you can go or take children or grandchildren, let me encourage you to do so – especially as part of the processional. These men’s lives were taken in order to protect and serve us – not someone else or somewhere else. Taking time to show these officer’s honor represents something bigger and more important than just this moment. We are blessed every day of our lives in the United States to be served and protected by our nation’s finest men and women. They show up, do their job, and serve us with dignity. This week, we have been sadly reminded that evil exists, and these individual servants put their lives in harms way every day. For these two men and everyone like them, we appropriately stop to give honor (Ecclesiastes 12:1-8), as possible.

What if we do go? Some Important Ideas

If you do have a chance to go or to take some children or grandchildren to the procession through town, here are a few ideas to keep in mind.

Go as a witness and not an explainer

A funeral is not a place to resolve all the questions or offer conclusions as to what happened, what should have happened, or how you think it all went down. Your presence is what matters. Your presence says that these two lives mattered, this grief is shared, and that their families and law enforcement personnel are not alone.

In the Bible, Job’s friends did wonderful when they showed up (Job 3). They made sure Job was not alone. They sat for seven days in silence. They were at their best in those moments. Going in humility matters more than going with words and explanations.

Let lament have its full voice

Although we hope in Christ and have hope that the world does not have as Christians, our hope never cancels our sorrow. Jesus demonstrated this to us. When He saw Mary and Martha, along with the others, at the death of Lazarus, He wept (John 11:35). He shared his compassion through His tears – even though He knew He was getting ready to raise Lazarus from the grave. Now, catch this, the hope of life for Lazarus still did not minimize his compassionate response toward His friends.

Tears are not a failure of faith. In fact, they are a faithful response to loss in a broken world. In these incidences, we recognize our grief as real. In one way, you can pray as you go, “Lord, teach me to mourn with those who mourn.” Then, quietly take in the moment unhurried and unpolished. Allow your presence to help bring encouragement to those who see you from the procession and those who stand alongside you.

Remember why we honor those who have died

As we wrote earlier this week, honoring the fallen is not idolizing them. As dim lights of the much greater light Jesus, we acknowledge their love.

We acknowledge their faithful service, a life lived for others, the cost of loving one’s neighbor in a dangerous world, and the personal sacrifice of these deputies and their families. We demonstrate gratitude as we pause to honor their life’s work and sacrificial gift to our community.

Guard your heart from anger and speculation

As true for any funeral, no doubt today seeing the hundreds of law enforcement vehicles following the hearses and family will stir deep emotions. It should not surprise anyone to feel anger, fear, a longing for more answers, or to just simply to understand. Yet, we all must remember that today is not the day for assigning blame, reliving all the details, or walking down the road of “what ifs.” Instead, it is a day for entrusting justice and revenge to God (Romans 12) as we seek to care for our community.

Watch with reverence

Thankfully, watching along the route provides our families with the space we need. You can talk and pray without as much distraction to others. However, seek to participate with intentionality.

Try to sit or stand without multitasking. Especially once the procession arrives, put away those things that keep you from interacting with those driving by. It would be a great time to pray for the families as you see them. Possibly, keep your comments or observations to yourself until after they have passed. In other words, watch without speaking much. Although there will be much more space and you will be outside, view this moment as you would in a funeral home and the family is passing by.

You may pray to yourself in this moment, “Lord, please comfort the brokenhearted, use this to reach people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and allow my presence to be a reminder that someone cares, there is support, death does not have the final word, and that Jesus loves them.

Prepare Yourself for the Ending

A friend reminded me of this important point: prepare your heart, because if they do the traditional last call for that officer, it will shake you to your core. When dispatch calls the officer’s badge number over the radio one final time, and you sit there in that silence with no response, it is a powerful, heartbreaking moment that honors their sacrifice, and you will never forget it.

Dispatcher:

“Officer _______, badge number ___, you have served your community with honor and courage. We thank you for your dedication and sacrifice. You are now 10-42. End of watch on _____. Rest easy. We have the watch from here.”

The Gospel Matters

Funerals confront us with what cannot be controlled. We remember our hope does not rest in the goodness of people alone, or the prevention of future tragedies, or the absence of evil. To say the least, this very funeral highlights all of those things.

However, we can trust and hope in Jesus Christ. We can find our rest in Him. He truly did lay down His life and took it back up again to provide us life (John 10:18; 15:13). Because of Jesus, our grief is real but is not ultimate. Instead, we have true hope in the future. Jesus is coming again. He will bring those who died in Him with Him. We will have the joy of eternity together. But, until then, we trust, wait, and are thankful.

Whether You Go or Don’t Go

Today is not about having all the answers, strong answers, or any answers. Today is about demonstrating the compassion of Jesus Christ by our presence, thoughts, prayers, and service. We do these things to demonstrate love, humility and hope in Christ.

Whether you go or watch, do so as a servant. A mourner. But, a mourner who trusts that God is near to the brokenhearted.

Participate with reverence. If you are watching at home, try to do so with sobriety. If things are too crazy in your life today, take time later to watch both the service and processional online. I believe that this day will help us as a community, and, more importantly, as a person. We pause to remember.