Last week I attended the Major City Chief’s, Intelligence Commanders Conference in Baltimore. NYPD presented a study they conducted on the attack in Mumbai, India by Lashkar-e-Taiba . The detectives who were on the ground with 36 hours of the attack did an outstanding job analyzing the tactical side of the attack. Their presentation brought up a bigger issue for me. What makes a high level crook or terrorist a success or failure?
In Mumbai the terrorists were recruited and trained in Pakistan. Five teams of two terrorists arrived via boats in the harbor and walked unchallenged past scores of people. There was a high level of commitment on the terrorist part. You can be as committed as you want but commitment alone will not make you successful. They were trained in the use of small arms and tactics. However as any rookie cop knows if you assault the front of the building people flee out the back. The back was not covered. They lacked operational experience. They laid IED (improvised explosive devices) along the way to cause confusion and kill as many first responders as possible. Not all of the devices worked. In fact some IED’s were impounded with other luggage in the train station terminal. They discovered later that it was live ordinance. The terrorists walked in pairs, 1 foot apart, firing into crowds to inflict the maximum amount of casualties. Their success was limited. Here is why.
The Indian SWAT team was 19 hours away. It had to be handled by local cops. There are 180,000 cops in Mumbai. They police a city of about 14 million people. Combined they have about 2,100 weapons most left over from the British in WWII. One Indian cop held two terrorists at bay for a considerable time while people fled from the train terminal. He held them off with one shot and a chair he threw. He was killed for his act of heroism, but he saved hundreds. Another Indian cop charged a car stolen by two terrorists. Unarmed, he ran into the fire of two AK 47 assault rifles giving colleagues enough time to pull the two from the car and disarm them. They saved hundreds.
According to the RAND Corporation who recently conducted a study of successful terror operations, “the chances of an attack succeeding increase when the characteristics of the attackers closely match the characteristics of what they are attempting and when there is a mismatch between those characteristics and the security or protective measures the act must overcome.” http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP257/
Concerning terror, I don’t know what the future holds for this great nation. I suspect it is not as bad as most fear, and we are not as safe as some hope. From the research I have read and the cases I have studied, we can defend against most acts of terror on our soil. That doesn’t mean they can’t hit us but I believe the brave men and women who roll out in a black and white everyday can handle Mumbai style attacks.
Spiritually I see some similarities. When what we are trying to accomplish spiritually matches the “gifts” (talents/skills) God has given us, we are much more likely to be successful. Romans 12: 4 ff: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12&version=NIV alo, I Timothy 4:11 ff. “Do not neglect your gift…”
The lesson:
· Have a spiritual mission. Know what we are trying to accomplish for God.
· Recognize your skills/gifts/talents. (Think outside the box)
· Gain operational experience in executing your gifts and talents.
· Recognize the obstacles and develop a plan to overcome them.
As the Mumbai terrorist learned that just motivation alone will not make an operation a success. It takes matching your strengths with the task at hand, gaining operational experience and defeating the obstacles that stand in your way.
If you would like a copy of the NYPD PowerPoint send me an email (from your department account) it is classified as LES//FOUO.
A
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
4 Fingers of Wisdom...
S. H is 5’7” and missing a finger. I’m not sure why, it’s just gone. It’s a pinky though. When he throws up a code 4 hand signal (I’m okay and no assistance is needed) he does it with a thumb and three middle digits. A week or so ago he was code 5 (surveillance) on some robbery suspects in East Dago. He needed to have them contacted so he called in Mid-City patrol cops. The cops attracted to work Mid-City are normally hard core, tough guys who like to get in the mix. You can tell how well a cop will do in his career by what division he wants to work after the academy. If a new officer chooses one of the hot commands he/she should be a good one. If he picks Del Mar, well, he may as well applied for the CHP.
Mid-City black and whites came streaming in the area hoping for a foot pursuit. They got their wish. It was immediate. H bailed out of the car to help the uniformed cops. A two officer car cut off a shaved head, tattooed ESD gangster and he switched direction. He ran right toward 4 finger H who was on a dead run and collision course with a man used to violent crime. Good cops watch the suspect’s hands. Eyes can’t kill you, other than a look that could kill, but a gun or knife in the hand can.
It seemed like slow motion to H. He saw the man flick/snap the blade into the fixed and locked position with the subtle twist of the wrist. It was Spider knife, the kind that cuts through metal. H knows knives can go through Kevlar vests, but as a UC detective he is not even wearing one. In super slow motion the man raises his arm, and with one fluid motion throws the knife like a Trevor Hoffman ace reliever for Padres. Hobbs sees the knife somersaulting through the air. The metal of the blade is glistening in the bright San Diego sun and it rapidly closes the distance. Hobbs knows if the knife strikes him in a vital spot it could be fatal. Adrenalin was pulsated through his veins, the kind of adrenalin that causes cops to have early heart attacks. The knife thrower made a judgment on H. He is not worth living.
As a cop I am a judgmental guy. No sense blaming it all on police work, just in general I make snap judgments on people by looking at them as I approach. I justify it because that’s what often keeps me safe. But the reality is I make judgments’ about people. The way they dress, look, feel, smell, speak, have their hair cut, their style and fashion all of it. I make an assumption on their quality as a person, their worth if you will. I decide if I like them or am going to choke them out in about 5 seconds flat. Once in a while someone will surprise me and I have to grudgingly change my mind. We put people into categories of comfort to me. That is why I judge them. It’s based on what makes us comfortable. We hang out with our own types. You can find us with people of the same political persuasion, dogma, race, denomination, culture, athleticism, interests, etc. It is something God is working on me about.
James talks about “wisdom.” (James 3: 13 ff) You will know you have it by how you live, “show it by a good life, by deeds done with humility that comes from wisdom.” The other kind of wisdom (not from God) is known by its traits also. “where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” Wisdom of God brings peace and peace brings righteousness. V17. So James goes on to say, what brings fights and quarrels among you? The desires within; you want something and don’t get it. In James 4:11 he gets to the heart of the matter. “Who are you to judge your neighbor?”
To sum up to me this means: Work to build the body of Christ not caring about who gets credit. You can tell those who lack Godly wisdom. They want something they can have; their ambition is about them not God; there is disorder as noted by strife; and when that is the case you will find “every evil practice.”
The knife thrown by the ambitious gangster was now at arms length. There was not time to duck, dodge or block. It was just going to impact Steve in the chest. The impact was violent and powerful. It felt like the knife penetrated the bone and sunk all the way to the heart. But it dropped to the ground. The weight of the knife’s butt made it over rotate and strike Hobbs butt plate first. It hurt but it would not cause substantial harm. A team of officers now pounced on the wannabe Padres Picture and planted him in the pavement. He was arrested for attempted homicide on a police officer. It was over. His judgment and underestimation of Hobbs’ resolve was evident.
We underestimate of the power of humble wisdom and also the destruction force behind wisdom based on selfish ambition is.
A
Mid-City black and whites came streaming in the area hoping for a foot pursuit. They got their wish. It was immediate. H bailed out of the car to help the uniformed cops. A two officer car cut off a shaved head, tattooed ESD gangster and he switched direction. He ran right toward 4 finger H who was on a dead run and collision course with a man used to violent crime. Good cops watch the suspect’s hands. Eyes can’t kill you, other than a look that could kill, but a gun or knife in the hand can.
It seemed like slow motion to H. He saw the man flick/snap the blade into the fixed and locked position with the subtle twist of the wrist. It was Spider knife, the kind that cuts through metal. H knows knives can go through Kevlar vests, but as a UC detective he is not even wearing one. In super slow motion the man raises his arm, and with one fluid motion throws the knife like a Trevor Hoffman ace reliever for Padres. Hobbs sees the knife somersaulting through the air. The metal of the blade is glistening in the bright San Diego sun and it rapidly closes the distance. Hobbs knows if the knife strikes him in a vital spot it could be fatal. Adrenalin was pulsated through his veins, the kind of adrenalin that causes cops to have early heart attacks. The knife thrower made a judgment on H. He is not worth living.
As a cop I am a judgmental guy. No sense blaming it all on police work, just in general I make snap judgments on people by looking at them as I approach. I justify it because that’s what often keeps me safe. But the reality is I make judgments’ about people. The way they dress, look, feel, smell, speak, have their hair cut, their style and fashion all of it. I make an assumption on their quality as a person, their worth if you will. I decide if I like them or am going to choke them out in about 5 seconds flat. Once in a while someone will surprise me and I have to grudgingly change my mind. We put people into categories of comfort to me. That is why I judge them. It’s based on what makes us comfortable. We hang out with our own types. You can find us with people of the same political persuasion, dogma, race, denomination, culture, athleticism, interests, etc. It is something God is working on me about.
James talks about “wisdom.” (James 3: 13 ff) You will know you have it by how you live, “show it by a good life, by deeds done with humility that comes from wisdom.” The other kind of wisdom (not from God) is known by its traits also. “where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” Wisdom of God brings peace and peace brings righteousness. V17. So James goes on to say, what brings fights and quarrels among you? The desires within; you want something and don’t get it. In James 4:11 he gets to the heart of the matter. “Who are you to judge your neighbor?”
To sum up to me this means: Work to build the body of Christ not caring about who gets credit. You can tell those who lack Godly wisdom. They want something they can have; their ambition is about them not God; there is disorder as noted by strife; and when that is the case you will find “every evil practice.”
The knife thrown by the ambitious gangster was now at arms length. There was not time to duck, dodge or block. It was just going to impact Steve in the chest. The impact was violent and powerful. It felt like the knife penetrated the bone and sunk all the way to the heart. But it dropped to the ground. The weight of the knife’s butt made it over rotate and strike Hobbs butt plate first. It hurt but it would not cause substantial harm. A team of officers now pounced on the wannabe Padres Picture and planted him in the pavement. He was arrested for attempted homicide on a police officer. It was over. His judgment and underestimation of Hobbs’ resolve was evident.
We underestimate of the power of humble wisdom and also the destruction force behind wisdom based on selfish ambition is.
A
Friday, August 14, 2009
Punching Out Windshields
There are some days when you can tell something great is going to happen at work. You get fired up. As a cop you can tell because the guys are in high spirits, talking trash to each other about who will get the first Frank (Felony arrest); who will get the most dope or the first gun. It creates an air of excitement and competitiveness. In between the sounds of Velcro ripping on and off synching down Kevlar vests and the sounds of guys racking their slides to make sure they are fully loaded with one in the chamber and the sound of snapping keepers there is the excitement of taking the field in a football game. Guys tell stories about foot pursuits and fights from the night before. You can smell the fragrance of foot powder, sweaty t-shirts and vest covers that haven’t washed in a decade. There is laughter and joking (some ones lock was glued to the door or boots were nailed to the floor) and always bravado. Lots of it. Yeah, it’s going to be a good shift!
Tom J and his partner Mark P were fired up after leaving the sub. Line-up was out of control as usual. The relentless ribbing of a guy who came in with a few reports an FI and no arrests. As soon as lineup was finished it was a mad race to the fleet of black and white Ford Crown Vic’s with beefed up suspension, chicken bones under the front seat and sunflower seeds everywhere. I’m sure there was some Tobacco juice on the side of the car, probably over the “America’s Finest” logo, from some cop spitting out the window. The driver does a quick check of the back seat for discarded weapons or dope from the 10-16’s the night before, while the passenger officer jumps in the cockpit, fires up the on board computer and logs on.
I’m sure they sent a message to RC08, the dispatcher, “have 824King see the sergeant as soon as they log on.” You watch as they get out of the car and worriedly walk into the sergeant’s office thinking there is another CCF (Citizens complaint). They don’t remember cussing at anyone in the past few days. The parolee they punched deserved it. The message senders laugh as they pull out of the sub.
It was in this environment Tom J and Mark P pulled onto 43rd. Mark yells to Tommy, “Lets get some! Lets go! Yehaw! Tom is fired up too. The part time his school referee and full time crime fighter for emphasis punches the windshield. “Yeah!” When he does the windshield cracks then evaporates into small shards of popcorn. Shocked at what just happened they both begin to laugh. “How you gonna explain this to sarge?”
Well I’m fired up about something too. I’ve been spiritually challenged and am ready to punch out a windshield. There are a lot of cops who are cops in name only. They go out into the field, shag a couple of calls, write a report or two then go home. Not the Tom Joy’s of the world. They are on the hunt for 10 hours. You have to tell them to shut it down and go home. They are my kind of cops. While everyone else is having code 7, Tom is tracking down One Eyed Dave, an attempt murder fugitive that half of the FBI is looking for. Tom found him in upper Michigan hiding in a trailer. Its a long story for another day.
James the brother of the Lord wrote letters to his fellow Jews who were dispersed. There was intense persecution. Some were playing Christianity. They were Christians in name only. James calls them on it. In James 2 he rips into them and says, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.” There goes the windshield. Boom. Wait! What kind of action is God looking for? Read James and figure out what kind of action God expects of us…It’s time to get fired up.
Muy Fuego…Its time to get fired up!
A
Tom J and his partner Mark P were fired up after leaving the sub. Line-up was out of control as usual. The relentless ribbing of a guy who came in with a few reports an FI and no arrests. As soon as lineup was finished it was a mad race to the fleet of black and white Ford Crown Vic’s with beefed up suspension, chicken bones under the front seat and sunflower seeds everywhere. I’m sure there was some Tobacco juice on the side of the car, probably over the “America’s Finest” logo, from some cop spitting out the window. The driver does a quick check of the back seat for discarded weapons or dope from the 10-16’s the night before, while the passenger officer jumps in the cockpit, fires up the on board computer and logs on.
I’m sure they sent a message to RC08, the dispatcher, “have 824King see the sergeant as soon as they log on.” You watch as they get out of the car and worriedly walk into the sergeant’s office thinking there is another CCF (Citizens complaint). They don’t remember cussing at anyone in the past few days. The parolee they punched deserved it. The message senders laugh as they pull out of the sub.
It was in this environment Tom J and Mark P pulled onto 43rd. Mark yells to Tommy, “Lets get some! Lets go! Yehaw! Tom is fired up too. The part time his school referee and full time crime fighter for emphasis punches the windshield. “Yeah!” When he does the windshield cracks then evaporates into small shards of popcorn. Shocked at what just happened they both begin to laugh. “How you gonna explain this to sarge?”
Well I’m fired up about something too. I’ve been spiritually challenged and am ready to punch out a windshield. There are a lot of cops who are cops in name only. They go out into the field, shag a couple of calls, write a report or two then go home. Not the Tom Joy’s of the world. They are on the hunt for 10 hours. You have to tell them to shut it down and go home. They are my kind of cops. While everyone else is having code 7, Tom is tracking down One Eyed Dave, an attempt murder fugitive that half of the FBI is looking for. Tom found him in upper Michigan hiding in a trailer. Its a long story for another day.
James the brother of the Lord wrote letters to his fellow Jews who were dispersed. There was intense persecution. Some were playing Christianity. They were Christians in name only. James calls them on it. In James 2 he rips into them and says, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead.” There goes the windshield. Boom. Wait! What kind of action is God looking for? Read James and figure out what kind of action God expects of us…It’s time to get fired up.
Muy Fuego…Its time to get fired up!
A
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Kidnapped in Mexico...The Jesse Story
Jesse is 72 and in average condition. He speaks mostly Spanish and owned a few small bed and breakfast hotels in Tijuana. He looks like he boxed as a young man, with his large chest, square chin and a nose that has been broken a few times. His skin is dark and weathered, his hands made of stone. Jesse realizes the dangers of TJ but he knows little else. Jesse walked freely down the street when a van pulled up next to him. Four men a third his age jumped out and grabbed him in broad daylight. Jesse realized this was a kidnapping, but he is not cartel…why him?
Still in good form, boxers never forget how to punch; he punched the first guy straight in the ski mask covered chin. S-1 didn’t expect that and dropped like a sack of rocks. The next guy took one in the forehead staggering him for a few seconds. Jesse fought for his life, literally. A scene it was, a gray haired, 72 year old man lumping up three would be kidnappers. The last kidnapper pulled out a gun and fired in the air, making sure not to harm his cash cow. The fighting stopped and Jesse was pulled into the van, taken in broad daylight off of the streets of TJ.
While in the van they put gauze over his eyes, duct tape over the gauze and drove in circles to disorient him. Once at the safe house the cargo was unloaded into a small closet. He was kept in darkness and bound for two months. His new home (for the time being) was a 3’ x 5’ closet. It was his sleeping quarters, bathroom and kitchen. It was hot during the day and cold during the night. It stunk. Two men lived in the closet. The other was a construction foreman who the kidnappers thought owned a construction company. Jesse was taken out on a routine basis to be tortured. They needed to find out how much money could be leveraged as ransom. Cars, seconds on a house, savings accounts, credit cards, they wanted money, all of it. To show the family they were serious a new group of kidnappers came to the house. Anytime they entered it meant pain for the hostages, 5 in all. The leader instructed the workers to send “proof of life” to the family. In silence they cut off one of Jesse’s fingers. He refused to cry out. They mailed the severed digit to the family. Next would be his head if they did not get the money.
Jesse was moved from location to location in TJ to keep a step ahead of the police. It wasn’t too hard as the police orchestrated the kidnappings. While at a house on the west side of TJ the kidnappers realized they would get no money from the construction worker. He was poor. They took him out of the cage and made him kneel. His last words in Spanish were…mercy, mercy, mercy. They threw his lifeless, headless body back into the room with Jesse to motivate his family to raise the requested money. Blinded and bound, sitting in a cage with a lifeless co-hostage, Jesse could hear kids playing down stairs in the family room. Jesse cried as he thought of his own kids and grandkids.
Weak, defenseless and confused Jesse endured a brutal ordeal. Jesse’s brave daughter (whole different story) paid the ransom on her own not knowing if they killed her dad. He was eventually released. Jesse was pushed out of a moving car still blind folded and duct taped. He took a shower and immediately left for the US where he lives with his daughter and her fiancée a San Diego Police officer.
I learned a few things about policing from listening to Jesse’s story.
The kidnapping groups work in cells. Jesse believes there were as many as 5 different cells working and profiting from his pain and misery. Based on voice patterns and accent they were from all over Mexico.
They had a highly organized infrastructure. The police were involved to a great extent. That became apparent in the negotiations.
They had no regard for human life. It was worthless other than a means of income or increased revenue.
Two important spiritual lessons for me. They seem to be opposed to one another:
Discipline is important. Jesse had a chance to take off the gauze and tape. He refused. He believed they would have killed him. I have a tendency to take the easy way and sometimes it takes discipline to take the hard road. I appreciate those who struggle and take the hard road. I Timothy 4:8 “Physical training (discipline) is of some value but godliness (discipline) has value for all things…”
Weakness can be positive: Each of us are held prisoner by something that makes us weak. For some its fear, others cynicism or bitterness. Yet others a physical addiction weakens our very beings. We would do well to remember 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God, when asked, will give us the power to overcome, just as Jesse did.
Train spiritually to overcome weakness as I rest in of the Power of God. That is the lesson of Jesse, kidnapped in TJ.
A
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Officer Involved Shooting
One of the regulars to this blog was involved in an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) yesterday. Chris is a stellar officer who works hard to protect the public. While looking for a robbery suspect Chris was confronted by a man with a knife. The man, a 48 year old parolee, advanced on Chris with a knife raised over his head. Chris shot and killed him. As many of you know this is a tough thing to deal with, so if you would, keep Chris in your prayers. He is a good man. One of my favorites.
Update: feel free to shoot Chris an email of encouragement.
http://www.10news.com/news/20275352/detail.html
Update: feel free to shoot Chris an email of encouragement.
http://www.10news.com/news/20275352/detail.html
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Prepared for Crisis
Izzy is a wild man born and raised in NY, NY. Just looking at this Puerto Rican proud man lets you know he is not someone to be taken lightly. Izzy responded to a radio call in Paradise Hills of a man with a gun. He had a trainee with him at the time. He walked up to the apartment and entered the stairwell explaining how to stealthily approach this type of call. The two officers with radios turned down low (before ear pieces) were met with the muzzle flash and ear piercing boom of an AK 47. The officers tumbled down the stairs and the maniac fired on the two helpless guys. Izzy dragged his partner to safety while firing from his 9mm. He emptied the magazine into the stairwell while calling for emergency cover. The shooting stopped as both sides reloaded. Izzy called out…”Hey, you shot at me and I shot at you. No one got hurt. Let’s call it a day.” The barricaded gunman answered with a volley of 7.56 rounds traveling at 2,300 feet per second. Izzy hollered back, “So I guess you don’t want to talk.” The man was eventually taken out by a sniper. Izzy has proven he can talk to anyone under any circumstance and get them on his side in just a few minutes. Well this one was an exception.
Last week D, F and J escorted the Governor of Baja California to UCSD for a public policy address. Presidential candidates, governors’, mayor’s, chiefs of police have all been killed by the cartels in the war on drugs. This governor is a high value target. The last thing we want is an intern-national incident in SD. The caravan of unmarked SUV’s flew up the freeway in a bullet proof glass, beefed up suspension and heavy armored Chevy door caravan. After the speech the Governor asked his PD handlers if they could make a bonsai through the “In and Out” Burger. The caravan whips into the drive through of In and Out and the whole entourage got double doubles with fries and shakes. On the bottom of the cup John 3:16 is stenciled.
They stood in the parking lot talking and laughing in Spanish. The sergeant and detectives are making invaluable contacts with people who can give them vital information about activities and trends in Mexico. They did not notice but across the parking lot was another SUV, smoked glass and the man was armed with a 45 cal handgun and shotgun. About 30 feet to his right was a second car with two armed men. Behind them was a third car with the person calling the shots. They had the governor in a perfect three sided ambush. In all there were 15 armed men in the parking lot with enough firepower to stop a small army. It was the making of a disaster worthy of national media attention. One miss step and people will die. A lot of them.
The door of the smoked glass SUV popped open. A shaved head, armed man with a Padres jersey and dark sunglasses stepped out of the car. He began walking toward the Governor and team. His personal team noticed the man and immediately grew tense, rightfully so. This guy is dangerous.
The Christian life can be similar. Surprises happen and we have to react. Phillip (Acts8: 26 ff) was told by an angel of the Lord to go to Gaza via the desert. There is nothing there! Dirt, lots of heat and more dirt. He was obedient and went anyway. While in the desert he was directed to go stand next to a chariot. He “ran” to the chariot and heard the man reading out of the book of Isaiah. Phillip explained how Jesus was the one prophesied about and the man believed. This Ethiopian man saw some water and asked to be baptized immediately. This obedience began one of the strongest early groups of Christians in the world, the believers in Ethiopia. There are thee things needed to handle a impromptu crisis:
Preparation: Phillip studied, worked hard and knew his OT scriptures.
Eagerness: Phillip was obedient and eager. He “ran” to the chariot.
Izzyness. Phillip was fearless and able to talk to people. There is a sense of realness with people like them.
They guy who got out of the SUV walked directly toward the team as they tightened their formation into a defensive position. The U.C. SDPD detectives recognized the man immediately. IZZY! Que Paso amigo! Hey we are in the middle of an operation. How long do you think you are going to be? Just a few more. We should be fine. These guys (suspects) won’t mix well with your protection package. Say no more we are southbound. The package got south safely the buy went down without a hitch. They were prepared to deal with a crisis. They were prepared, eager and Izzyish.
A
Last week D, F and J escorted the Governor of Baja California to UCSD for a public policy address. Presidential candidates, governors’, mayor’s, chiefs of police have all been killed by the cartels in the war on drugs. This governor is a high value target. The last thing we want is an intern-national incident in SD. The caravan of unmarked SUV’s flew up the freeway in a bullet proof glass, beefed up suspension and heavy armored Chevy door caravan. After the speech the Governor asked his PD handlers if they could make a bonsai through the “In and Out” Burger. The caravan whips into the drive through of In and Out and the whole entourage got double doubles with fries and shakes. On the bottom of the cup John 3:16 is stenciled.
They stood in the parking lot talking and laughing in Spanish. The sergeant and detectives are making invaluable contacts with people who can give them vital information about activities and trends in Mexico. They did not notice but across the parking lot was another SUV, smoked glass and the man was armed with a 45 cal handgun and shotgun. About 30 feet to his right was a second car with two armed men. Behind them was a third car with the person calling the shots. They had the governor in a perfect three sided ambush. In all there were 15 armed men in the parking lot with enough firepower to stop a small army. It was the making of a disaster worthy of national media attention. One miss step and people will die. A lot of them.
The door of the smoked glass SUV popped open. A shaved head, armed man with a Padres jersey and dark sunglasses stepped out of the car. He began walking toward the Governor and team. His personal team noticed the man and immediately grew tense, rightfully so. This guy is dangerous.
The Christian life can be similar. Surprises happen and we have to react. Phillip (Acts8: 26 ff) was told by an angel of the Lord to go to Gaza via the desert. There is nothing there! Dirt, lots of heat and more dirt. He was obedient and went anyway. While in the desert he was directed to go stand next to a chariot. He “ran” to the chariot and heard the man reading out of the book of Isaiah. Phillip explained how Jesus was the one prophesied about and the man believed. This Ethiopian man saw some water and asked to be baptized immediately. This obedience began one of the strongest early groups of Christians in the world, the believers in Ethiopia. There are thee things needed to handle a impromptu crisis:
Preparation: Phillip studied, worked hard and knew his OT scriptures.
Eagerness: Phillip was obedient and eager. He “ran” to the chariot.
Izzyness. Phillip was fearless and able to talk to people. There is a sense of realness with people like them.
They guy who got out of the SUV walked directly toward the team as they tightened their formation into a defensive position. The U.C. SDPD detectives recognized the man immediately. IZZY! Que Paso amigo! Hey we are in the middle of an operation. How long do you think you are going to be? Just a few more. We should be fine. These guys (suspects) won’t mix well with your protection package. Say no more we are southbound. The package got south safely the buy went down without a hitch. They were prepared to deal with a crisis. They were prepared, eager and Izzyish.
A
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