Put on the whole armour of God... (Ephesians 6:11)

Last week I spent a morning at one of the Regional Public Order Training Centres. I hasten to add that I attended only as an observer. There were the usual quizzical looks from officers from my own force and also from the various other forces that were present. Some of the officers present were there for the very first time - and there were others who were old hands at this kind of training. There were some 'aha's' from police officers who remembered me from years back and some lamp-swinging chats as we recalled mutual acquaintances and colleagues.

During the course of the morning - from my vantage point above their heads I saw row after row of police officers fire-bombed and walk almost nonchalantly through the flames with ever increasing confidence in their high-tech fireproof clothing. I reflected that nearly 20 years had elapsed since the last time I had presented myself for such training at this same venue and which then had only just opened. I also remembered the confidence that such training had given me in the protection provided and how much ammunition it gave me to preach at churches all over the West Midlands on the 'Armour of God' often dressing up in the kit to visualise the matter more effectively.

But one thing had changed - when I was trained with long and short shields the instructors and colleagues on the 'other side' for the day hurled blocks of wood at us. Nowadays 'Health & Safety' has intervened and apparently officers might gets splinters if they use wooden blocks - so they use expended PVC baton rounds (see picture) which weigh about 150 grammes and measure about 3" long and about 1" in diameter. Thrown with unerring accuracy they can cause bumps and bruises. They can also put an officer out of the training for the rest of the day. I saw one Inspector take two baton rounds on the chin bouncing off his shield and under his visor. It should not have happened and it was his fault through a moment's inattention. He took it all in good part but it made it painful for him to eat at lunch time.

As I later reflected on this visit I thought that no matter how well we believe we are protected as Christians - and no matter how much we trust in God's armour then all that is needed for it to go wrong is that inattention, that carelessness to which we all from time to time succumb. I also remembered some thoughts from years ago - God has provided such an armoury for us and yet many of us don't even visit His armoury to collect our personal issue equipment. Or maybe we think that we don't need it all and leave the Belt of Truth or the helmet of salvation or those Gospel sandals gathering dust on the shelves. No wonder so many Christian people get bumped and bruised and even fall under the baton rounds that the world throws at them - but God is not to blame...

But if you're breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren't there just to be admired in their uniforms.(Romans 13:4 Message)

This is my grandson - determined to continue the family tradition...

Sunday 2nd March already and several weeks have passed since my last update. Yesterday evening was my 'Commissioning Service' at Madeley Baptist Church. I had to choose a date but wish I could have avoided Mothering Sunday. Still - the Divisional Commander turned up and said a few words and the preacher was the Ecumenical Dean. It was all over too quickly. We sang some hymns, read some Scripture, said some prayers and I made some promises. My eldest daughter and her partner turned out in their best uniforms and a PC and a CSO from the local station also came.


And it all made me reflect... not so much about being a chaplain to the Police but about the parallels between the role of the police in the community and the role of the church. If you take the 'Message' version of Romans 13 quoted above, it is clear that rule breaking is always unnacceptable and God has in place his agencies to deal with that and apply sanctions - involving the payment of a penalty by the rule breaker - from gaol to community sevice to a fine and so on. Through the action of the police - sanctions which are available through law are applied - and at the end of it all the price for offending has been paid and so society is arguably satisfied. For the legally innocent there is no threat and no sanctions.


But the church too is involved in dealing with rule breakers and also in declaring that wrong doing is unnacceptable and saying so to all of society (there is none righteous - no not one), and no one is legally innocent. The church has no powers of arrest and no sanctions to apply - just imagine if it did... I suppose the difference is that the forgiveness offered through Jesus is once for all and unconditional - because he has done the time, paid the penalty and freed all of guilty humankind from the consequences of breaking the rules. All that is needed on the part of the wrong doer is to acknowledge the fault, repent the fault and put trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Simple and effective? Certainly saves on the mountains of paperwork - perhaps I ought to have a word with Ronnie Flanagan.