The Pastoral Grind

 (Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column May 17, 2023) “…And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning; from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image…” (Genesis 9:5-6) Four Wisconsin law enforcement officers have been killed in 2023. According to Officer DownMemorial Page as of May 8, there have been 39 Line of Duty deaths in the U.S.A. this year. Not all those have been the result of violence against officers, but more than half have been. I’m writing this just days after St. Croix County Sheriff Deputy Kaitie Leising was killed. On the same day, eight people were killed and seven injured by a shooter at a mall in Allen, Texas. A month ago, another two of Wisconsin’s four officers killed were Chetek Police Officer Emily Breidenbach and Cameron Police Officer Hunter Scheel. A month and