TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Police officers in central Alabama are receiving support from a new ministry dedicated to sharing God’s love.
Paul Trammell of Tuscaloosa has had enough of the negative words thrown at police officers these days, so he decided to do something about it. He created The Matthew 5:9 Project, a ministry with a simple mission of supporting law enforcement officers in Alabama.
Trammell ordered several hundred blue rubber bracelets with the phrase “Blessed are the peacemakers” written on them. The message, which comes from Matthew 5:9, is one of the Beatitudes originally delivered as part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7. Trammell gives the bracelets to any officer he meets.
“Basically, the thought came to my head – blessed are the peacemakers – and that was not the thought of mine,” Trammell told ABC 33/40. “It just came to me out of the blue. So, I know that came from above.”
Trammell has already lost count of the number of bracelets he’s handed out over the past month, but the gesture is certainly lifting officers’ spirits. Many officers have posted pictures of themselves wearing the bracelets on The Matthew 5:9 Project’s Facebook page. One policewoman described how the bracelet lifted her spirits after a particularly bad day. Other officers say the bracelets strengthen their sense of security.
When Trammell gives an officer one of his bracelets, he explains his mission: “I just want to tell you, I appreciate what you do every day. We understand when you put the uniform on that your life is in danger and we want you to know we appreciate it and we’re praying for you. We want to give you this, as a reminder that you got people praying for your safety every day and appreciate what you do.”
If you want to join The Matthew 5:9 Project, the ministry’s Facebook page includes directions on how to get involved or how to make a donation. Trammell’s best advice on what to say to an officer when you give him or her a bracelet? “Say what’s on your heart.”
(h/t ABC 33/40)
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