This weekend the Tampa community gathered to pay their respects and honor the memory and dedicated service of two slain police officers Jeffery Alan Kocab and David Lamar Curtis. The services included tributes from religious communities and civic leaders throughout Florida and it all took place in the context of funeral services.  Even those who had no personal relationship with either of the officers came to Idlewild Baptist Church in Tampa to pay their respects and honor the service of these heroes in our community. 

The activities showed how important such services are to a grieving community.  They also proved beyond a doubt our inter-connectedness and bond with those around us who live in Tampa Bay.  We gather during these solemn occasions to grieve, mourn, honor, and celebrate those who've passed.  Funeral services on such a large scale don't take place every day but they remind us of the importance of such memorials.  They provide an opportunity to renew bonds of community and friendship that are so important to our own lives.