written by Richard Lewis
The Book "Black Cop" is based on the true story of New York City's most decorated cop at the time of its first printing. It is written by an extraordinary man, who lived the life of danger as a no-nonsense cop who carried the nickname "Preacher Cop" by drug dealers.
This book gives a clear understanding of "...the dark corridors of New York City's housing projects ..." during the period of the seventies and eighties. Det. Richard Lewis also gives the reader an insight into the world of police procedures during that time.
I was personally impress with his knowledge regarding undercover work. It starts on pg. 87 as follows :
"...Once a cop is taken 'out of the bag,' he is undercover. As I mentioned earlier, the effectiveness of undercover officers depends on how streetwise they are. I believe there are several levels of undercover work, each requiring certain expertise and natural abilities, as well as a 'thick skin.' It takes a special type of cop to do undercover work because of the high level of danger involved. Depending upon the assignment, an undercover officer has to possess a number of key street characteristics to survive....
...The greatest risks are faced by the lone undercover officers who have to use their skills to personally infiltrate criminal organizations of various kinds. Their lives are continually at risk, because they have to make drug buys, gather evidence, and make the 'sting' or final arrest all by themselves. Worst of all, they are sometimes forced to do this without a gun or any identification as a police officer. This puts them at risk both from the criminal element and from the law enforcement officials at times. If these undercover officers do carry a handgun, they take great pains to use weapons not commonly used by cops. A 'blown cover' or 'being made' (being identified as a police officer) can lead to a violent death at worst or the complete collapse of a particular investigation at best...."
When I first started to read the book, I couldn't put it down until I finished it (two hundred and forty four pages). I have already started to read his second book called "America, From Shackles To Handcuffs: My Quest for Truth, Justice and Peace," and I hope to review this book also.
Getting back to "Black Cop," Mr. Lewis relates how he and other black police officers were repeatedly denied promotions...and were even treated like criminals themselves by some white cops. Sad an unfair as this may be, it will be the issue that I will be commenting on in the Christian perspective. As you can tell I enjoyed it and recommend the book to all who wants to understand what dedication really means. Up to here ends the Book Review.
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Christian perspective
The following is in regards to the race issue and the denied promotions.
To best describe what one should do in this situation, I am going to use excerpts from another book, entitled "Christian Suffering," by R.B. Thieme, Jr. It starts on page 105 as follows:
"System testing, as the term is used here, is an organization composed of people under the authority of other people, which functions according to a policy designed to fulfill a specific objective. Human society is a web of systems. Every individual belongs to many of these organizations, formal and informal. There are business corporations, military services, ecclesiastical organizations, athletic teams, professional associations, universities, governmental departments, marriages, families, and many other systems. All of these are characterized by:
PERSONNEL UNDER AUTHORITY
THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ORGANIZATION
POLICY OF THE MANAGEMENT
There are good and bad systems, which may be successful or unsuccessful. The personnel - in authority and under authority - may be accomplished or incompetent. Objectives may be legitimate or dubious, lucid or ill-defined. Policy may encourage employees to produce or may oppress them. Problems inevitably exist in the complex of interlocking and overlapping systems that constitute human society. All these organizations involve people, no two of them are alike and not one of whom is perfect. With so many old sin natures* jostling against one another and expressing themselves day after day, no wonder system testing is an inescapable form of suffering that poses a major challenge to the Christian's spiritual advance.
What is a believer to do when he is treated unfairly by someone in authority over him? How should he respond to bias and favoritism that promote people who do inferior work? What if he had a personality conflict with his boss? Or how does he maintain his motivation and integrity when policies serve someone's personal interests rather than strengthening the organization, when they conflict with normal living, or when they seem arbitrary and stupid? How does he cope with conflicting, vague or impossible objectives?
The dynamics and problems of organizations have been studied and written about by many distinguished authorities. Most problems boil down to arrogance, expressed in incapacity, laziness, distraction by wrong priorities, and ignorance. The purpose of this study of Christian suffering is not to diagnose the weaknesses of particular systems and to prescribe organizational remedies. Instead, the objective is to describe the believer's mental attitude and modus operandi as a result of utilizing divine problem-solving* devices. Spiritual autonomy* enables him to survive and benefit from system testing.
QUIT OR COPE
Two courses of action usually are open to the believer when confronted with system testing. He can quit or he can cope with the pressure, using the dynamics of available divine omnipotence*. Certainly there are times to separate oneself from an organization. If a system's objectives or policies are clearly evil, the believer should disassociate himself from it. This would apply to groups like the Communist Party, the Nazi Party, certain apostate churches and cults, criminal organizations, and paramilitary groups that undermine the authority of government through civil disobedience or terrorism.
Separation is required in extreme cases, but quitting because of pressure is often a poor decision from a position of weakness. If the believer succumbs to the pressure, if he quits on relatively mild provocation, he has flunked the system test.
If you falter in times of trouble, How small is your strength. (Prov. 24:10)
If the believer perseveres in a situation even when circumstances are less than perfect, and continues to do a good job he will be vindicated and promoted spiritually by the Lord..."
In "Black Cop," Richard Lewis continues to do his job, the only way he knew, "...once a cop, always a cop."
There are different categories of Christian suffering that should be noted. They are listed as follows:
Punitive* which includes 1) Self-induced misery 2) Divine discipline
For Blessing* which includes 1) Providential Preventive suffering 2) Momentum testing 3) Evidence testing
For so many Christians, these terminology are not understood.
Many Christian Pastor or Preachers, do not have a clue what their role is suppose to be in the spiritual life. They think and are led by their emotions (Not the Holy Spirit, even though, they believe they are).
Christians need to understand that we are All part of the Royal Family of God. There is neither Black, White, Jew or Gentile in the Royal Family of God, There is no Race, we are All in Christ. A New Spiritual Birth (Born again). Any Christian who uses race as an issue is ignorant about the plan of God.
The issue is Jesus Christ, and living the same spiritual life that He prototype for us while He was on earth. All His Prayers was towards God the Father (not dear Jesus).
The Word of God commands us "to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
We live by grace (that means, God does all the work), and don't use the term grace to justify our straightening things out by using words like "Preach the Gospel" and to change how people should behave in the world. First provide the true Gospel.
The Gospel is the message of John3:16, and John 3:36, and that is what witnessing is all about, Jesus Christ. Then let God the Holy Spirit take over in the minds of the unbelievers. It's up to the free will of the unbeliever to make that choice. Not Ours. Then Let the Word of God, which is alive and powerful, to change the believer's behavior. It's between the believer and God. People have choices, and that's what free will is all about.
How many times I hear, in the Media, so called Reverends, Pastors etc., who are out to change the world for one's race or for some cause ... so that they can "boast!" Or is the new word "Votes!" Christ is the issue in our lives, and their is no other foundation to build on. If you do, then you are serving the ruler of this planet.
Jesus Christ controls history.
The battle is the Lords.
All works that we accomplish in this life, though it may be honorable, and is not accomplish through the ministry of God the Holy Spirit is considered ... wood, hay and stubble.
God loves us even though we may be losers in this life. We are His children. God keeps His Word. We will All go to heaven... Face to Face with the Lord.
If His children doesn't want to learn the easy way about the spiritual life, then God permits situations like September 11, 2001. This may sound cruel, but, it's true.
Wake up Christians. It's because of Us, "the salt of the earth," that we have situations like 911. It's up to us to make the right choices.
I know that it feel good, to do something for the Lord. Wow, we even want to be great Christians!
Our preachers are telling us to go out for the lord (forget the study part, to grow). God uses prepared believers. Even common sense tells us that we should not send our troops into combat with out training and equipment.
It's our priorities in our daily emotional calendar to be recognized as " he/she does great things for the lord," and to try changing the devil's world, which all adds up to ... arrogance or boasting. God approval is towards those who study the word (2 Tim. 2:15).
Is the daily portion of receiving the Word of God, the most important thing in your life?
Are Pastors/Teacher studying the Word in the original languages to provide their sheep's the daily portion of the Word? Most pastors find studying the original languages not needed, and thereby depriving their sheep's of spiritual growth.
The truth is not social injustice (hello! This is the devil's world).
The truth is not electing some politicians to office (hello! read "Black Cop").
The truth is not changing the environment (hello! The Garden of Eve didn't work)
The Truth is the Word of God, and when you know that Truth, that Truth ... will set you free.
All of the above nomenclatures* can be provided for free, without charge or obligation. For information click below on Religious Issues.
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* Christian Suffering, by R.B.Thieme: Click here to website ... Religious Issues