SUNSHINE COAST, AUSTRALIA (ANS) -- Pastors and leaders on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast gathered this week to honor the police in their North Coast region at the Coast’s 5th Police Appreciation morning. Seventy plus leaders from thirty-nine different denominations and organizations were joined by representatives from a number of local Christian schools.

Dr. Robi Sonderegger

Renowned Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Robi Sonderegger was guest speaker for the morning. He has seen great success in recent years, developing and validating evidence-based early intervention and effective treatment programs for behavioral and emotional disorders.

Dr. Robi is also known, internationally, as an expert consultant in trauma associated with war, exploitation, and natural disaster (with tens of thousands of refugees around the world having graduated from his programs).

Dr. Robi highlighted the various stereotypical images we can have of the police. Some imagine them waiting around corners ready to catch someone speeding or using their mobile phone, whilst others suppose they are superhuman machines ... faster than a speeding train ... invincible! Too often we miss the fact that our police are mere mortals; that they are not built to withstand all the abuse and anger that society cares to throw at them. They feel pain and are as vulnerable as any of us.

He spoke of their daily decision, their daily choice, to head off to work each day not knowing what might face them. Danger and tragedy are regular elements of their work and there is always the chance that they may not return to their families.

Over the years, Dr. Robi has worked with officers in a professional capacity and is acquainted with the traumatic dilemmas of “the job”. He also explained that he has discovered ‘Love’ to be the underlying motivation for their decision to choose a career in the police. A love for people, a love for peace; as well as a love for community. It is also the motivating force behind their continued decision to step into each day.

We are told, “Greater love has no man than this; that he lay down his life for his friends.” We therefore must honor the decision our police make in choosing an occupation that requires them to lay down their lives daily so that we can experience safety.

In defining love Robi recalled John Paul Young’s 70’s hit, “Love is in the Air,” asking, “Is love something that is all around us, can we breathe it in?” And Air Supply’s 80’s hit, “I’m all out of love,” asking, “Is love something we can run out of?” Meatloaf also had something to say about love in their more recent song; “I would do anything for love (but I won’t do that).” He surmised that, “love is something that is all around us, but we can run out of it; and there are some things we just won’t do for it!”

Dr. Robi has witnessed the atrocities of war and enslavement. He receives invitations to visit countries from all over the world but there are some places he is reluctant to go. Some where even his love for people, will not take him. A visitor to Somalia places their life at risk from the moment of entry; there can be no assurance of protection. It is a lawless place. Bullets fly around without restraint; large percentages of children own AK47s and it is as common a complaint for someone to speak of having a bullet as it is for us to complain of a cold. Babies have even been born with a bullet already embedded.

Somalia does not have the thin blue line that we have, protecting us from evil. They do not know our safety, our comforts or our peace. Somalians cannot protect themselves or their families.

We are privileged to have our police and to live in an environment where our children can experience freedom and grow up in safety.

“For this reason,” he said, “We would like to say thank you, from our hearts, Thank You!”

The Purpose Of The Meetings

The Police Appreciation mornings were started in 2005 in with a two-fold purpose:
Firstly, in recognition of the hard work and dedication of the police
Secondly, to encourage churches and leaders to undergird our police and their families with prayer.

An essential concept behind the Police Appreciation mornings is to promote the understanding that our Police are a governing authority, established by God to protect us from evil.

Many believe that Police are service providers only, forgetting that they also have a “mandate under legislation to enforce the law in a state, territory or nation”.

Acting Inspector Paul Mellick has written of this mandate in a short article entitled, “Why Pray for Our Police?” - http://www.link-zone.net/police/studies/whyprayfor.shtml

He says, “Romans 13: 1-6 is the most applicable scripture in support of this view. Civil governance is a "ministry" and therefore should be upheld according to the principles instructed by the Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

Fire and ambulance officers are not rulers but civil servants. Clearly, there is a difference. Although their role is vital in any community and they should be covered in prayer at all times due to the high risk nature of their work, they do not have a governing authority over others.

The law gives police the power to take liberty and in the right circumstances even life.

Pray For Australian Police Newsletter

A Prayer update will commence in 2010 - If you would like to join us in praying for our police please make contact and we will add you to our mailing list – admin@link-zone.net

Bev Holmes-Brown lives on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia with her husband Arthur and two children. In 2001 she began Link-Zone.net, a Christian Resource ministry with a mandate to “believe and pray for the reformation of values, systems and wisdom.