The Gospel > Racism, Pt. 4
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"For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus."
(1 Timothy 3:13)
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I want to introduce you to someone who I had the privilege of meeting and having a great conversation with. His name is Deacon Freddie Maxwell, one of the first African Americans to work for the Austin Police Department. He served with distinction, and he retired as a captain. He loves the Lord and is still going strong in his 80s.
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I was introduced to Freddie by Caleb Turner, a pastor at Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas. Caleb also serves on our DFEA Board of Directors and is a friend of mine. He will preach at Great Hills Baptist Church on July 19.
My main objective in calling Deacon Freddie was to listen, learn, and receive his perspective on what is happening in our country. I wish I could have driven up to Mesquite and met him in person, but due to time constraints, I could not. So, I will recount for you the interview I had with him. It would be more powerful hearing it in his own words, but I will recapture our conversation the best I can.
Freddie was born in Copeland, TX, in 1938. As a child, he lived in Boerne and Jonah and then moved to Austin and attended Anderson High School. He said his parents raised him to respect others: "It does not take any more time to say 'Yes sir' than 'yeah'." He enlisted in the Army and went to basic training in Fort Bliss in El Paso, which he said was "second only to Hades in hot!" In 1959, he read where the Austin police department was looking for cadets, so he decided to give it a try. He took the test along with 200 people. 35 were selected, and Freddie was one of them. As I was listening to him, I was amazed at how quickly he recalled times, dates, and places. I am almost 30 years his junior, and I cannot do that!
Freddie said, "God wanted me to be a police officer." He served 9 years as a patrolman, then in 1969, he was promoted to sergeant, the first African American promoted in the APD. He was only 31 years old. He was promoted again in 1972 to lieutenant, spent 11 weeks in Quantico, VA, training with the FBI, and then he was promoted to captain. He retired as a captain in 1989.
He has been married for 58 years. Freddie and his wife have 3 daughters. Jackie, the oldest, is severely handicapped and has lived with them for 50+ years. Freddie said as long as he has a house, she will have a house! Freddie and his wife now have 5 grandchildren and moved to the Dallas area to be closer to their family. Freddie accepted Christ as his Savior at age 22 and today serves as a deacon at Mesquite Friendship Baptist Church. What a delightful, humble, and sharp man is Deacon Freddie Maxwell!
When I asked about his views on the racial tension in our land, Freddie spoke words of clarity and wisdom. He has a really unique perspective, being an African American man who served as a police officer for almost 30 years. He told me:
"My heart is broken over what is happening in our nation; I see things from both sides. A large segment is painting all police with the same brush, but I know for a fact there are good officers. If one does good you, never hear about it, but if one does bad, it will give a bad reputation to the whole department. We as African Americans need to look at the whole picture, get past the evil of a few, and understand we need police officers, and they need the community. We should have mutual respect for one another, work it out. The protests going on have gotten lots of attention, and there is good that has come of it, but we cannot lean too far; this talk of disbanding police is not good. Criminals will take advantage of it. The country has to come together; it is easier to love than hate. I don't need a reason to love; I love everyone because God told me to. When I meet a new person, I think the best of that person. Hate wears you down. I like people, and I tried to keep people out of jail. I was awarded the MLK Jr. humanitarian award in 1985, as one who exemplified Dr. King's principles. Those taking advantage of protests who loot, they don't have the country's best interest at heart, and they are making things worse. Police are trained to prevent loss of property and loss of life, and it is wrong to condemn all police. I have been stopped by police, sometimes not justified, but I never told the police I was an ex-police officer, as I did not want to appear to them to be above the law, because I am not above the law!"
What a prince of a man. I hope you got a good glimpse into the heart and mind of this beloved African American man who loves Jesus, his family, and our nation.
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Help children build a lasting foundation.
Point the kids in your life to Jesus with a copy of the Bedtime Devotions with Jesus Bible.
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The Gospel > Racism
In light of current events, Pastor Danny takes this episode to discuss how the Gospel is unequivocally opposed to racism and unites people of every tongue, nation, and ethnicity under the Lordship of Christ.
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