Thousands of people gathered at Christ Tabernacle on Friday to mourn the death of Officer Rafael Ramos, one of two officers who were killed on December 20. Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu were shot and killed in Brooklyn by a lone shooter who proclaimed on social media that he was acting in response to the recent incidents involving Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
At the funeral, loved ones of Ramos celebrated who he is and what he had done throughout his life to serve others.
"Ralph Ramos was a long-standing member of 14 years at Christ Tabernacle," read a statement released by the church. "When he was not working, he was highly involved in our church. He served as an usher, was part of our marriage ministry and life group ministry. He and his family are well loved throughout the congregation."
"He had an infectious and disarming smile," the statement continued. "Ralph was one of the faithful ushers who made Christ Tabernacle feel like home! "¦ He was a humble man and was willing to help at any capacity; helping people to their seats, moms with their baby carriages or the elderly in and out of our elevator."
Ramos didn't consider serving as limited within the confines of the church, however. He considered his job as a police officer as a ministry and a way to serve and protect the community.
"He told me that his job even with the NYPD, he felt he was doing God's work," Reverend Marcos Miranda, the president of the New York State Chaplain Task Force, said in an interview with Arise America.
"He felt that he was protecting and serving his community and that was a sort of ministry for him. And I totally agreed with him," Miranda continued. "He said this type of ministry, the chaplaincy, he could see himself doing this in the future as a full-time ministry after he retired from the NYPD."
Ramos was just hours away from completing his chaplaincy program at the point of his death. Faith Evangelical College and Seminary, the college through which Ramos was preparing to receive his degree, decided to grant the degree posthumously.
The sudden tragedy has been difficult to process for the loved ones of the deceased. Ramos' wife told the New York Times that she hopes "things get better between the community and the police," and that the tensions and "animosity is a horror."
Jaden Ramos, Officer Ramos' 13-year-old son, expressed his grief and confusion on his Facebook.
"Today I had to say bye to my father. He was [there] for me everyday of my life, he was the best father I could ask for," he said. "It's horrible that someone gets shot dead just for being a police officer. Everyone says they hate cops but they are the people that they call for help. I will always love you and I will never forget you. RIP Dad."
Reverend Ralph Castillo, one of the pastors at Church Tabernacle, told the New York Times that in sensitive and confusing times such as this, the best response is to pray.
"Our response to 9/11, to Ferguson, to Eric Garner, is to pray. We have taken our hurt and our questions and our disappointment and we go to God and we pray."
