It fades, His love doesn't.

Across social media, there are pages that captivate their audience with artistic designs, heroic slogans, and scriptures announcing the death of a police officer in the line of duty. Amidst the mix of trauma content creation and honoring the fallen lies the necessity of promoting the profession's brotherhood/sisterhood, known as 'The Thin Blue Line.' Among its various interpretations, one aspect that continually eludes us is camaraderie both before and after life presents challenges. To put it differently, we lack love within the profession. Specifically, Christ-like love.

John 13:34-35 says, 'A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.' His definition of love is sacrificial and selfless and isn't contingent on being a 'fire breather' or a go-getter, nor is it based on popularity within one's department. Most importantly, love isn't about standing by silently while a fellow officer struggles with personal relationships, develops substance problems, or faces mental health obstacles, only to disown them upon discovery.

While death in the line of duty is different, there are still more officers appearing in the comments section of a fallen officer's social media page than standing by their side during life's difficulties. Sure, there are many articles, studies, and expert opinions that highlight the increased depression rates and suicide risk for police officers compared to the civilian population, but I ask: what about peer vulnerability? What about the police culture's 'swear words': compassion and accountability?

When a colleague dies, why do we then become beacons of care, discharging 'I love you' and hugs to anyone in uniform? Why do we write heartfelt paragraphs to the fallen via a social media app, often to someone we may have barely spoken to while they were alive? Why is the 'Thin Blue Line' strong and bold enough to bind us together in death, but not visible enough for us to authentically care about each other in everyday life?

The answer is that the Thin Blue Line, for all its definitions, mottos, and meanings, is not the great connector of police officers. Jesus is. The Thin Blue Line is often the last thin boundary separating us from loving one another openly and unashamedly. Death causes that Thin Blue Line to momentarily fade and even disappear, allowing our emotions and the love we possess for each other at our core to spread and become an agent of healing for our fellow officers. The finality of death extinguishes the fire breather and stops the go-getter. It provides sobriety for a culture drunk on warrior-ship and clarity on the perspective of our own mortality.

Unfortunately, as I stated previously, this expression of love is temporary. Once the mourning has ceased and a new shift begins, the Thin Blue Line is given the credit for helping us through the grievous time, thereby reaffirming our faith in its promises to be there for us during this law enforcement journey. However, its promises are rarely kept and are often contingent upon your work product, notoriety, perceived good mental wellness, and power within the department. Yet, we remain faithful, believing that it will be different for us. But it never is.

In conclusion, if you find yourself in the unfortunate position of mourning a fallen officer, remember the emotions you felt, the interactions of care with others, and the sincere words you wrote to the fallen who can no longer read them. Before things return to normal, take note of the love, vulnerability, and expressive freedom you felt around your peers and strangers. You can allow that feeling to exist only in a moment of tragedy, or you can walk with Jesus and know that this is the nature of His presence daily. You will soon discover that through the ups and downs of this law enforcement journey, the Thin Blue Line may fade, but His love never will.