Law enforcement event invites local agencies to campus, emboldens officers to fight evil with God’s love

Liberty University hosted a gathering of approximately 150 members of law enforcement from Central Virginia Monday afternoon to discuss the many challenges and issues they face on a daily basis and learn how to fight the evil of the world with the love of Christ.

The keynote speaker was Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, a retired Army Ranger and former West Point psychology professor who now speaks and writes books on modern developments in military, law enforcement, mental health provision, and school safety. His research regarding the criminal and psychological factors related to mass murders has been cited by the White House, and he has testified before Congress and state legislatures.

The event was hosted in the Montview Alumni Ballroom by the Helms School of Government and School of Behavioral Sciences, with deans Robert Hurt and Dr. Kenyon Knapp, respectively, opening the gathering by thanking the officers for their service. Provost Scott Hicks also welcomed guests to Liberty’s campus and thanked them for their bravery every day. Amanda Trent, chair of Liberty’s criminal justice department and an assistant professor, introduced Grossman after taking a few moments to recognize representatives of local law enforcement agencies that have partnered with Liberty’s program.

The gathering was developed as an expansion of the law enforcement appreciation lunches that the School of Government has hosted for the last two years.

In opening, Grossman asked all in attendance to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance and then noted that the final three words, “justice for all,” are an encapsulation of what it means to be in law enforcement.

“For everybody else, those are just three simple words we said as a kid. For us, it is a solemn, sacred vow,” he said. “It is an obligation of the highest magnitude. Jesus said (in John 15:13), ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’ What kind of people will lay down their life for strangers? What kind of people will walk out a door and lay their life down for people they’ve never even met?”

“Sometimes the greatest love is not to sacrifice your life, but to live a life of sacrifice,” he added.

Grossman’s presentation brought to light multiple elements that contribute to the influx of “darkness” that Americans seem to hear about on a daily basis, namely multi-homicidal acts and gun violence as a whole. He outlined how the desensitization to violence caused by mature video games and movies, society’s growing acceptance (and almost encouragement) of sleep depravity, stricter gun regulations, and unequal media narratives have created a storm in modern America. He said these all come from the same source: a growing denial of God’s existence.

“One of the factors that empowers these (violent) crimes is this militant belief that there is no God,” Grossman said. “Know that you and Liberty University have an important piece of the equation. Sooner or later, our nation will fall, but eternity continues.”

Christians today are not truly at home when they walk the earth, Grossman explained, and yet believers are called to enter the world with the goal of saving lives.

“This is not our home. We are soldiers deployed to a warzone for an (unknown) duration, and when we die we will go home,” he said. “In this war, we win when we save people (spiritually).”

In the midst of the darkness, Grossman encouraged the audience to fight this evil with love.

“What is the opposite of evil? Love. Evil is the absence of love, just as darkness is the absence of light,” Grossman said. “We will fight this evil with our love; our love for children, our love for our nation, our love for our way of life, our love for our God.”

“You are the thin line of heroes holding the fabric of our civilization. You represent our nation’s best hope of correcting and (surviving).”

Prior to the afternoon presentation, Grossman spoke to students in criminal justice and sociology classes, sharing many of the same points and encouragements but emphasizing the need for moderation when it comes to video games and staying up late — two common habits of the typical college student. Trent said that Grossman expressed his admiration for the students he met, saying he felt encouraged by the next generation of law enforcement and mental health professionals.

“He said, ‘These students gave me so much encouragement with the way they behaved and the respectful manner in which they handled themselves,’” Trent said after the event. “He was really impressed by Liberty, including the students, faculty, and the campus.”