In retrospect, it doesn’t really matter what I intended to
write for today's column. The notes I had made during the week and the
anecdotes lodged in my frontal lobe were shaken from their place of importance
when my son Geoffrey and I sat down to watch the news early on the morning of
August 16th. It was then we
learned of the assault on four St. John the Baptist Parish deputies which
resulted in the deaths of Brandon Nielsen and Jeremy Triche, and the
hospitalization of injured deputies Michael Boyington and Jason Triche.
The news
jolted my community and almost every conversation I've engaged in since has
included a reference to the tragedy. Sometimes, many times, I talk too much.
Whether speaking to friends or praying to God, I use my ability to just go on
and on filling up the empty spaces with more and more noise. The early morning
shoot-out left even me at a loss for words. My heart still aches for the
families and friends of the victims, for our Sheriff Mike Tregre and the men
and women he leads, and for our parish as we grieve. And at times like this, my
prayers become very, very simple and are most often whispers of 'help' amidst
tears.
I didn't
need the command from 1 Timothy 2:1,2 to remind me to pray, but the timeless
instruction found in those verses bears repeating: "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to
help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in
authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and
dignity."
May
our prayers for the victims, the families, and our law enforcement only
increase.
Ronny may be reached
at rmichel@rtconline.com
Amen, Ronny!!
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