Grace

Most of the news coverage a couple of weeks ago dealt with the sad, sorry story of the arrest of a black Harvard professor and the repercussions--which unfortunately reached all the way to the White House.

In case you somehow missed it, I'll summarize for you. Harvard professor returns from a trip with a friend and has forgotten his house key. He and friend attempt to break into his own house. Concerned neighbor observes the break-in and calls the police. Police arrive and ask for identification. Irate professor is uncooperative--claims "racial bias/racial profiling" (at some point stating, in effect, "you don't know who you're messing with"), and is subsequently cuffed and taken to the station. The President of the United States answers a question about the event at an unrelated news conference by saying "the police acted stupidly". Details of the incident are released by the police and the story begins to escalate. The President does some quick damage-control and invites both the professor and the arresting officer to the White House for a beer. No apologies are made public if any occurred. Story fades after a few days due to the health-care debate.

A story that I believe has a lot of similarities has appeared in the news this weekend. If you haven't read it, I'll summarize again. Rock legend Bob Dylan is touring this summer, and is on a tour stop in New Jersey. He decides to take a walk and does so in a "minority neighborhood." Police receive a call and investigate(racial profiling?). Young police officer arrives and ask for identification. Dylan states "I'm Bob Dylan, and I'm doing a show here in town." Officer is too young to know who Bob Dylan is. Dylan is taken back to the concert venue where tour staff vouch for him. Officers thanked him for his cooperation. A person who witnessed the incident said "He (Dylan) couldn't have been any nicer to them." Dylan has made no comment.

Two similar incidents. Two different responses. Two vastly different outcomes.

I don't know either of these men. I don't know their past circumstances. But I do know that people everywhere will continue to clash racially and culturally until they begin to act in the way Dylan did. It is a condition, a way of thinking and living, known simply as GRACE. For those of us who follow Jesus Christ, it is the very foundation of our salvation. God help us to live it instead of just talking about it on Sunday. The world we live in needs it more than ever.