Joy Break: Cop and Protester Pause to Pray Together
When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down. Where are all the good stories? They’re still there. Here’s one that we hope will bless you.
Police officer Garren Hoskins was holding the line Saturday during a peaceful protest in Nashville, Tennessee. That’s when he noticed a guy holding a sign and preaching to the crowd about his Christian faith. “As he was talking, he was quoting Bible verses,” said Hoskins. “I’m personally a Christian … and what he was saying is the same things I was raised on and what I believe.” The two men began talking.
“There was a brief moment where he … stopped and was just kinda standing there. And so, I felt an opportunity as a police officer and a person, a man myself, I just asked him, ‘Would you like to pray?’ And he puts his sign down, looked at me, and said, ‘Absolutely.'”
‘All Men Treated Equal Under God’
The protester put down his sign and the two men began to pray. “He had a great prayer of equal rights β all men treated equal under God, and it was very touching,” Hoskins added. The men didn’t know it, but someone captured the moment on film. The Metro Nashville PD posted it on Twitter.
“In the midst of Sat’s confrontation between protestors (sic) & officers at the Central Precinct, Officer Garren Hoskins and the protestor (sic) in front of him began talking about their shared Christian faith. Hoskins asked the man to join him in prayer. He put his sign down. They prayed.”
In the midst of Sat's confrontation between protestors & officers at the Central Precinct, Officer Garren Hoskins and the protestor in front of him began talking about their shared Christian faith. Hoskins asked the man to join him in prayer. He put his sign down. They prayed. pic.twitter.com/c1KasU9dNQ
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) June 1, 2020
Watch Officer Hoskins explain what happened:
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.