Friday, January 18, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Texas Prayer Request
It was a typical Christmas Eve 2012. Children breathlessly awaiting the excitement of Christmas morning; families preparing gifts for the Christmas Tree; feasts cooking for incoming family and friends... and, as expected, families anticipating the Christmas Eve services to be held all over Houston, Texas. Then, once again, shots rang out and heaven welcomed two more precious souls...as people all over the Southwest were instantly thrust into the painful tempest of grief.
Bellaire, Texas is a small suburb within Houston. Cpl Jimmie Norman, a 53 year old veteran of the Bellaire Police force, was giving chase to 21 year old Harlem Harold Lewis. Without notice, Lewis quickly pulled his vehicle into the parking lot of a local business with Officer Norman right behind. Lewis immediately jumped from his car firing ten rounds before Officer Norman could draw his weapon. Officer Norman died instantly.
A retired Army veteran, Terry Taylor, heard the gunfire and approached Cpl Norman to give aid. That's when Lewis delivered a point-blank shot to the head of Taylor, killing him instantly. The carnage unleashed this Christmas Eve forced not only the Norman and Taylor families into the cold waters of the Grief Reaction, it reawakened the truth that we are all vulnerable to the killing whims of a deranged person dedicated to murder. The memories of this event will be reviewed time and again by the families desperately searching for answers to the "Why's." And, each year as Christmas Eve approaches, many will remember this senseless event and relive the emotions again feeling almost the same intensity as they felt this Christmas Eve.
Because the Bellaire Police Department didn't have a Chaplain, IFOC Sr. Chaplain Dr. Keith Robinson, Houston Regional Community Chaplain Corps Commander, began serving the officers and mourners who gathered before the Bellaire Police Department Headquarters. On Christmas Day Chaplain Robinson again comforted officers at 5 different police stations, fire stations and yet another set of mourners who had come to pay tearful respects at the makeshift memorial in front of the Bellaire Police Station, even amidst a soaking rain shower. It was almost as if God was crying right along side the other mourners.
Chaplain Robinson sought out members of the television and radio media who were gathered on Christmas Eve to report on this tragedy. This visit opened the door for a discussion with groups media professionals about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how it can target members of the media because of their frequent and intense exposure to violence, carnage and bloodshed from traumatic incidents which are favorites as lead news stories. "If it bleeds...it leads" reflects the industry draw to traumatic events. Three media professionals asked if they could meet later to discuss PTSD symptoms they were experiencing but could not address to their employer for fear of termination. One station has asked for Chaplain Robinson to host a week-long, TV News special focusing on human reactions to traumatic events.
As chaplains we have many opportunities to help the children of God when they face painful, traumatic events in their lives. Out of this tragedy will come not only an opportunity for our Corps Chaplains to serve a traumatized family but also the officers who worked with Officer Norman every day. Contact will be made with the family of the innocent bystander who died attempting to help Officer Norman. Additionally, this incident appears to have opened a doorway through the media to reach out with love to an entire population of Houston. Through this news special God has given me an opportunity to introduce the role of chaplaincy in trauma response.
Right now many in the media and in our government are focusing on the 'weapon' used in recent killings rather than 'the heart of the killer.' I will attempt to keep this special focused on 'the heart that would use any weapon.' My goal is to focus on helping the public understand more of the emotional/physical reactions people may be experiencing as they deal with the grief of yet another sensless loss of two important lives...a brave and honorable citizen, Mr. Terry Taylor and a dedicated Police Officer...Cpl Jimmie Norman. Please keep all of these families in your prayers. I am always open to your thoughts, ideas and prayers.
Sincerely,
Sr. Chaplain Dr. Keith Robinson
Corps Commander, Houston Regional Community Chaplain Corps
Dr. Keith Robinson
Bellaire, Texas is a small suburb within Houston. Cpl Jimmie Norman, a 53 year old veteran of the Bellaire Police force, was giving chase to 21 year old Harlem Harold Lewis. Without notice, Lewis quickly pulled his vehicle into the parking lot of a local business with Officer Norman right behind. Lewis immediately jumped from his car firing ten rounds before Officer Norman could draw his weapon. Officer Norman died instantly.
A retired Army veteran, Terry Taylor, heard the gunfire and approached Cpl Norman to give aid. That's when Lewis delivered a point-blank shot to the head of Taylor, killing him instantly. The carnage unleashed this Christmas Eve forced not only the Norman and Taylor families into the cold waters of the Grief Reaction, it reawakened the truth that we are all vulnerable to the killing whims of a deranged person dedicated to murder. The memories of this event will be reviewed time and again by the families desperately searching for answers to the "Why's." And, each year as Christmas Eve approaches, many will remember this senseless event and relive the emotions again feeling almost the same intensity as they felt this Christmas Eve.
Because the Bellaire Police Department didn't have a Chaplain, IFOC Sr. Chaplain Dr. Keith Robinson, Houston Regional Community Chaplain Corps Commander, began serving the officers and mourners who gathered before the Bellaire Police Department Headquarters. On Christmas Day Chaplain Robinson again comforted officers at 5 different police stations, fire stations and yet another set of mourners who had come to pay tearful respects at the makeshift memorial in front of the Bellaire Police Station, even amidst a soaking rain shower. It was almost as if God was crying right along side the other mourners.
Chaplain Robinson sought out members of the television and radio media who were gathered on Christmas Eve to report on this tragedy. This visit opened the door for a discussion with groups media professionals about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how it can target members of the media because of their frequent and intense exposure to violence, carnage and bloodshed from traumatic incidents which are favorites as lead news stories. "If it bleeds...it leads" reflects the industry draw to traumatic events. Three media professionals asked if they could meet later to discuss PTSD symptoms they were experiencing but could not address to their employer for fear of termination. One station has asked for Chaplain Robinson to host a week-long, TV News special focusing on human reactions to traumatic events.
As chaplains we have many opportunities to help the children of God when they face painful, traumatic events in their lives. Out of this tragedy will come not only an opportunity for our Corps Chaplains to serve a traumatized family but also the officers who worked with Officer Norman every day. Contact will be made with the family of the innocent bystander who died attempting to help Officer Norman. Additionally, this incident appears to have opened a doorway through the media to reach out with love to an entire population of Houston. Through this news special God has given me an opportunity to introduce the role of chaplaincy in trauma response.
Right now many in the media and in our government are focusing on the 'weapon' used in recent killings rather than 'the heart of the killer.' I will attempt to keep this special focused on 'the heart that would use any weapon.' My goal is to focus on helping the public understand more of the emotional/physical reactions people may be experiencing as they deal with the grief of yet another sensless loss of two important lives...a brave and honorable citizen, Mr. Terry Taylor and a dedicated Police Officer...Cpl Jimmie Norman. Please keep all of these families in your prayers. I am always open to your thoughts, ideas and prayers.
Sincerely,
Sr. Chaplain Dr. Keith Robinson
Corps Commander, Houston Regional Community Chaplain Corps
Dr. Keith Robinson
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