Thanksgiving Service for the Bermuda Police Service held on October 19, 1997.

The words of Polonius in the first act scene 3 of Shakespeare's Hamlet: "Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.

This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as night the day, Thou canst not be false to any man.'' The last time I had the privilege of speaking to such a large and honoured body it was at the service of thanksgiving for the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. It was a great honour to speak at that beautiful service. Having met Mother Teresa, acknowledged in her life as a living saint, I have to say I am rather obsessed by the saints -- those holy men and women, who the Church and the world -- even the media, acknowledge as a role model -- a living vision of how humanity can be.

I believe that all of us need a personal role model -- or if you want to put in another way -- our own Patron saint. For me, it would probably be a combination of St. Lawrence, St. Francis, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King. These are people who, I believe, provide for me and others, a role model -- a way of living that I can base my own life on -- whose example helps me to work through the trials and difficulties of my own life.

I believe that in a way, we may need a Patron saint for Bermuda -- someone who would be a source of national inspiration who would unite us in our commitment to the things that we as a people believe to be important. It might be St.

Luke who we remember this weekend, or Martin Luther King, or Richard Allen, John Wesley, William Booth, St. Brendan or St. Francis or even someone as yet unknown -- like Archbishop Janani Luwum of Uganda -- the unnoticed martyr of the Anglican Church who quietly confronted the tyrant Idi Amin, and who was killed by Amin in February, 1977 for opposing Amin's persecution of Asian Ugandans and the massacre of his own people. He was a man of Truth, Integrity, Prayer, Compassion, Service and Love. A person who could be trusted.

One of the things that we need most in our society today is people who we can trust. People of Truth, Integrity, Prayer, Compassion, Service and Love. We need people at the heart of our community -- in our Government, churches and Police Service who care for our communities, who show by their own example that they are role models of how it ought to be, how it can be, and how it will be.

There are some who believe that authority and trust are gained through power, wealth and status. I beg to differ. Authority comes when responsibility is fulfilled, when self-sacrificing service is offered.

Trust and authority is given when others perceive our truth -- the truth we believe in; the truth we live.

Trust can never be demanded. It is not taxable. Trust is a sacred gift offered in hope by the giver. No-one is going to be given trust as a right. We must show ourselves worthy of it. By our conduct, and by our words, we must show ourselves worthy of trust by serving the people committed to our care. By acting responsibly -- with truth and integrity -- both in public and in private.

Recently, in my work as Chaplain to the Police Service, I had the opportunity of introducing myself to the latest group of Police trainees. They were an impressive group of men and women who had committed themselves to serve the people of Bermuda. As part of my time with them, we brainstormed who they did and did not trust.

Sadly, but very significantly, politicians, clergy, and lawyers came at the top of list of those they did not trust. I challenged their perceptions, and I tried to point out that they must learn to trust if they are to be worthy of trust -- particularly they must trust each other as police officers, if they are to serve the people of Bermuda effectively.

To comment on a very different context -- a non-Bermudian and a purely political context -- it seems to me that the General Election in the UK earlier this year was all about Truth, Trust and Integrity. There had been too many incidents of trust betrayed and integrity compromised, for the credibility of the ruling Government to be maintained. It became clear that the people of Britain no longer perceived John Major's Conservative parts as worthy of their Trust.

Truth had been lost. Trust betrayed. Integrity compromised.

This is not how it ought to be.

We all know in our hearts that this is not how it should be.

I believe that we also know in our hearts how it ought to be... how it can be! The prophet Micah offers a vision of a people united in their worship and trust in the one God. Of a culture where there is no need for nuclear deterrent or land mine. Where the knowledge and the resources used to develop weapons are used instead to feed the world. Of a time and a place where division, aggression and mistrust come to an end. Everyone sits under their vine -- on their porch or walks their local street confident and secure that they live in a society where trust and integrity are the predominant factors of life.

Again, the words of Jesus challenge us. "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'' I know personally how difficult that is to do. Recently, I have had to learn again my responsibility to pray for those with whom I disagree and who insult and hurt me.

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.'' Yet there is something in those words that reach to the core of my being. A reminder of our common humanity and a shared hope. I believe that Jesus is not only challenging, but also extremely practical in this guidance. Of course we have our reservations. The way of the world is to discard this guidance as unworkable and naive.

But Jesus, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and Archbishop Luwum were not naive in any way. They knew what they were doing. They knew not only the immediate impact of their words and actions, they knew their final income.

They knew that what they did might well bring pain and death, but they also knew that the Final Victory belongs to God.

To discard the words of the Christian gospel as naive, unworkable or other worldly is to underestimate the power of the God that they believed in, and the vision and the hope that all men and women share.

And let us be clear, to under-estimate the power of God -- the God who is the Judge of all and who knows all the secrets of our hearts is simply to deceive oneself. Self-deceit is the mother of Sin.

This week, we the Government, and people of Bermuda give thanks for our Bermuda Police Service for all its members and their families. We as a community say a heartfelt thank you to all of you -- serving and retired Police Officers and Reserves for being there, and for being willing to serve our islands in this way. We acknowledge the sacrifices that you and your loved ones make.

We offer to you our total support and we promise you our prayers.

The patron saint of the Police Service has traditionally been St. Michael the Archangel. St Michael is acknowledged as the guardian of the people of Israel and of the souls of all people. Biblically, he is the angel who guarded the gates of Eden, who is mentioned in the book of Daniel and who fights against Satan in the Book of Revelation.

He is portrayed most dramatically in the bronze statue on the front wall of the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral, but usually pictured standing with resting sword over the defeated dragon of evil. St. Michael symbolises a watchful guardian of the people -- whose truth is obvious and whose integrity is unquestioned.

He bears the sword not to instil fear -- but as a reassurance that God is always victorious in the battle against Evil. He is an image of the Truth and Integrity that must permeate, our Government, our Police Service and all our people. He is for all Christians a role model of how it should be and how it can be. You and I must be and do the same.

TRUST IN GOD -- The Rev. Andrew Doughty says Police officers should trust God and their colleagues.