Going In and Out Among the People
But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.” (1 Samuel 18:16
The Philistine giant Goliath challenged any Israelite soldier to a duel to the death. No one wanted to take his challenge. David did. He killed Goliath with a stone and a sling. Afterward, King Saul made David the commander of his army. Everyone loved him. One day Saul heard women “…singing and dancing,” (1 Samuel 18:6) “And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” (1 Samuel 18:7)
When Saul heard them credit David with killing ten thousands and him only thousands, he started to suspect David wanted to take over the kingdom: “And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.” (1 Samuel 18:9) Saul also demoted David: “Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand;” (1 Samuel 18:13) He did that because “…Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, and was departed from Saul.” (1 Samuel 18:12)
Yet David didn’t whine or cry. 1 Samuel 18:16 says, “But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.” It doesn’t say they loved David because he had killed Goliath, although they probably did. It says they loved him “…because he went out and came in before them.” David, Israel’s national hero, acted like a normal guy and interacted with people, and they loved him.
If you’re a cop, especially in a high-crime area, here’s the point: you will learn if you haven’t already that many if not most people where you work are decent people. They don’t want criminals to run wild. At the same time, they may not want to interact with you if they’ve only heard bad things about police.
That’s why you should do what David did. Go “in and out among the people,” Show your human side at times. Watch kids play ball in the park. Play ball with them. Pass out bubble gum. Make balloon figures. Say hello to people when you stop for coffee. You’re the good guy/gal. Let decent people know that. Strive to create a positive personal impression. It’s called PR. Public Relations. It’s important.
If you’re a leader, please know also that citizens need police to be proactive. To do traffic stops. To check suspicious people. It is not harassment. It’s police work. The more they do this, the more the bad actors and lawbreakers realize they’re less likely to get away with wrongdoing. Proactive officers also learn to use discretion in their enforcement and gain compassion for decent people in tough areas. They get to know citizens better. Citizens get to know them. They come to enjoy working in tough areas.
Yet when officers are discouraged from doing their jobs due to excessive regulations and a punitive work environment, they may often do just the minimum for their own survival. Or they may transfer to a city where they are allowed to do their job. In either case, criminals benefit and decent people suffer.
Decent people are not better off when police can’t do the job. When police don’t or can’t enforce the law, lawbreakers take advantage, no matter the ethnic makeup of the area. A survey of 911 calls and crime reports will bear this truth out. Citizens should expect police to serve them, but offenders should expect police to confront them. God said, “…if thou do that which is evil, be afraid;” (Romans 13:4)
If you want to see from the Bible how to have eternal life by receiving Jesus as your personal Saviour, please go to www.clevelandbaptist.org, click “Helpful Links,” then “How Do I Go to Heaven?”
Brian Miller 6/30/2023