Law Enforcement Agencies Gather for Blessing of Badges
The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives presented the event, held at the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company hall.
Photos
Law enforcement agencies from throughout the state gathered Friday in Pikesville to network, for camraderie and to witness the blessing of their badges.
The 2012 Blessing of the Badge was presented by the Maryland chapter of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives.
It was hosted by the Maryland State Police, headquartered in Pikesville, and is a ceremony to pray for protection and strength for the state's public servants.
"Law enforcement agencies share a common goal ... " Col. Marcus Brown, State Police superintendent said to several hundred law enforcement professionals gathered at the event. "To provide safety to our children and to their parents."
Brown urged agencies to be transparent in their hiring practices to earn the confidence of the community.
When the community sees a diverse organization that does not discriminate, they are "more confident in the decisions" the organization makes, he said.
Representatives from at least 15 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies attended the breakfast, as well as members from at least two fire departments, including the Pikesville Volunteer Fire Company.
The Rev. William C. Calhoun, who is a member of the Maryland Transportation Authority Board and pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Baltimore, gave the blessing and benediction.
As he gave the blessing, he touched each of the approximately dozen badges set out.
"God is our refuge and our strength ... and is very present in a time of trouble," Calhoun said. Law enforcement cannot do their jobs without God, "the one who protects them," he said.
He praised law enforcement agencies for helping "to maintain our peace—our shalom."
Friday was the first time that Lt. David Perry, assistant commander of the State Police Human Resources Division, attended the event.
After the event, he said it was a good time to share fellowship with his comrades from throughout the state.
"It's an opportunity to come out and exchange business cards, to talk about some of the struggles and challenges we've had throughout our careers," he said.
Those challenges include "hidden challenges," he said, referring to racism or discrimination.
NOBLE was founded in September 1976, and has 56 chapters in six regions throughout the U.S. and one chapter in the Caribbean, according to a State Police news release.
In This article
-
Maryland State Police Headquarters
1201 Reisterstown Rd, Pikesville, MD -
-
Pikesville Volunteer Fire Co. Station 32
40 E Sudbrook Ln, Pikesville, MD
Tierah Copeland
10:47 am on Thursday, March 28, 2013
This is good. However, all police officers who are worthy enought to receive & kind enough to receive these blessings should be inducted.
Could Jesus Have Healed People by the Power of Suggestion?
Mark 1:29–34
Doctors note that sometimes people can have a psychologically induced illness, and if they get a new purpose or direction for living, they show relief from the symptoms—they don’t need the illness anymore. For some others, the “placebo effect” can have visible results. That is, if you think you’re going to get better, you often do get better. And when people came to Jesus, they believed he could heal them, so he did. But the fact remains: Regardless of how he did it, Jesus did heal them.
Of course, even if you hold to this explanation for some cases, that doesn’t explain all of Jesus’ healings. Often a psychosomatic healing takes time; Jesus’ healings were instantaneous. Many times people who are healed psychologically have their symptoms return a few days later, but we don’t see any evidence of this in the gospel accounts. And Jesus healed conditions like blindness and leprosy, for which a psychosomatic explanation isn’t very likely. In addition to these, he brought people back from the dead—and death is not a psychologically induced state! Finally, you have all of his nature miracles—the calming of the sea, turning water into wine. They defy naturalistic answers.
Adapted from interview with Dr. Gary Collins