The victims of the recent mass flooding in Louisiana need donations, helping hands, and shelter, but they also need prayers for their safety and wellbeing.
A police officer in Lafayette visited a Red Cross shelter to pray with and for those displaced from their homes, but it wasn’t long until the disaster-relief organization forced him to stop.
Capt. Clay Higgins wanted to encourage those who had lost their homes, belongings, and businesses by offering compassionate words of comfort and prayer, however, Red Cross rules prevented him from helping the flood victims in that way.
“This flood has been biblical in proportion, and I believe it calls for a biblical response,” Higgins said in a video posted to social media.
The off-duty, uniformed cop was impacted by the challenges facing his community, and even though he had likely already helped in countless ways on the job, he wanted to do more, so he stopped by the Heymann Center — a performing arts building that was temporarily designated an official Red Cross shelter.
But, as he made his way from person to person, a volunteer with the organization approached him and told him that, although they appreciated his compassion, the official rules would not allow him to pray with the victims.
The officer explained that he just wanted to “walk around and give a compassionate handshake or huge, and love from one man to another.”
“To let them know that there are people out there caring about them, loving them and praying for them,” he said.
There is seemingly nothing wrong with that as long as he isn’t bothering anyone or harassing anyone. I’m sure there were several people in that shelter who needed to hear his words of encouragement and God’s message of faith and strength during difficult times.
Higgins did point out that the volunteers — even the ones who approached him and asked him to leave — were doing “wonderful” work and devoting their time to helping those displaced by the floods.