I noticed something this week. It may be a shift in perspective, and it may be a much more foundational change beginning to happen within me. It could be an indication of growth in my faith. It could even be the result of my journey through a very dark period of life. Or maybe—and most likely—it could be a combination of these things. Nonetheless, I wondered about the intrinsic value of a person this week.

By cultural standards—and maybe even by the standard of common decency—this person doesn’t “deserve” a change in my view toward him. He did something horrible. He acted so selfishly that, by any system of accounting, it cannot be justified. Yet something made me stop and think beyond his actions. I wondered about some things that I had never really wondered before. For some reason, I saw this person in a different way.

At this point, you must be asking yourself, Who is he talking about? This is natural, and a question I would be asking, too. However, I am about to burst your bubble. I am not going to reveal this person’s identity. That being said, some of you more sleuth-ful readers may be able to figure out who I am talking about; but that’s not the point. The point goes way beyond what a single person did this week. My point is aimed at human worth.

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Not too far from where I live, a police officer was shot this week. In the course of his duties, on a “routine” traffic stop, the suspect fired a weapon at the officer striking him in the face. And in the midst of this, the brave and amazing officer had the strength and presence of mind to call out the suspect’s vehicle description, direction of travel, and report on his own status. Yes, through pain and traumatic stress that I cannot even imagine, this officer continued to carry out his sworn duty. Listening to the audio of this radio transmission truly emits a visceral response. (You, sir, are a hero!)

Even closer to where I live, the suspect was later apprehended by a group of other brave officers. The suspect was brought into custody after a high speed pursuit and more shots fired. Thankfully, from what I understand, no other officers were physically harmed in this incident. The suspect was injured in the process, but his injuries were much less serious than the officer he shot. It continues to amaze me how these brave men and women can perform their duties under such duress and with so much restraint. (These officers, too, are heroes!)

As with most incidents like this, the news got out quickly. And with all incidents like this—along with a plethora of other “newsworthy” items—social media “pundits” quickly weighed in on the situation. Some were gracious in their comments by offering prayers for the injured officer and well wishes for the rest of the officers involved. But more so, the comments centered on hate and condemnation.

“What a piece of sh–!”

“Worthless bastard!”

“This dude is a useless son of a b—!”

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Please hear me. I have many friends in law enforcement. And I view each of them as a hero. They are faced with situations that make me fearful just thinking about them. Especially in the current cultural climate, these officers—my friends—have impossible decisions to make each and every day. As a whole, the law enforcement officers that serve and protect us on a daily basis deserve our respect and support; they certainly have mine.

The man that shot the officer this week deserves to be held accountable for his actions—his completely horrible actions. His choice to discharge his weapon and wound a police officer justifies prosecution…period. I am not trying to debate this. I am trying to make a much different point.

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As I mentioned, I heard about this incident on social media. And when I followed the links to the news media reports, and heard the audio of the officer calling out on his radio, I was saddened. I prayed for the injured officer and I prayed for a peaceful end to this situation. But as I worked my way back to the comment feed and began to read some of the responses, I was taken aback.

Words of support for one were coupled with condemnation for another. In one breath, hope was expressed for one man, and in the very next breath, damnation was expressed for the other. The juxtaposition made me think differently; I began to wonder…

What brings a man to the point that shooting a police officer (or anyone) seems justified? How could he be so desperate? What was his childhood like? Is he addicted to drugs? Is he mentally ill? Why would he do such a horrible thing? Is he really useless, worthless, and nothing but feces? Given his actions, is there any more room to believe that he has intrinsic value simply because of his humanity?

To illustrate my point further, let me share a conversation I overheard this week.

A report on the current opioid epidemic was being broadcast on the news. It spoke of the thousands of men and women in America who have lost their lives amid this crisis. And as this report continued, a conversation began about the topic. The men discussing it also spoke of a local EMS service responding multiple times to the same individual who had overdosed on heroin. To this, one individual stated, “There should be a ‘three-strike’ rule! After an addict is treated twice for an overdose, they shouldn’t be given any more help!”

Excuse me?!

I immediately wondered, When does one’s humanity cease to have value?

If you have read previous posts about my story, you know that I have struggled through depression and anxiety. And at my worst, I was in a very, very dark place. Thank God, I was—and am—surrounded by an incredible support network. I found treatment that has worked. I am now in a much better spot. But, it could have played out much differently.

What if I didn’t have my support network? Would I have turned to alcohol—more than I did—or drugs? Would I have gotten to a point to which I would consider suicide? Would I have gotten to a state where I would make other horrible decisions? I don’t know, but I believe it could have happened!

Let me bring this home…

I come at this topic from a couple angles. Firstly, my Christian faith compels me to value humanity. Over and over in Scripture and Church tradition, the value of unconditional love is taught. Jesus himself went out of his way to love the unlovable and to lift up the unvalued. Secondly, having struggled with my own mental health for a time, I have a greater understanding of, and empathy for those who become desperate—those who may be too blinded by their pain to see things clearly.

We often do not know the extent of one’s story. But it is clear to me that many—too many—suffer silently. I urge each of us to consider the intrinsic value of all people.

Truly, I pray for the recovery of the officer that was shot this week, for all the other officers involved, and for the man who caused these things to occur. May each of them heal!

I know this may be an unsettling or even controversial post; even though I labored to keep any controversy to a minimum. Still, I’d love to hear your comments, friends. I do ask that you please keep your comments civil, even if we disagree. Thanks! Please share your thoughts below or contact me privately if you wish.

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Be well…

P.S. If you have a story to tell and would like to join Jim Ladiski Writes as a guest blogger, please contact me!