What an amazing performance. But I was floored by this comment.
‘On this spot where we’re standing 46 years ago Dr King had a dream. On Tuesday, that dream comes to pass.’
This was an unbelievably important step for race reconciliation in America…but, really?
I thought he meant the line, “one day we will be judged by the content of our character, not by the color of our skin.” In that sense America, well a majority of America, judged Obama to have the character of a man we want to hold the biggest office in an important time. But then again I love some Bono and will defend him.
I definitely love me some Bono. But there’s a difference between saying we are witnessing the dream come to pass, and saying the dream has come to pass. Or even better, we are working towards that dream coming to pass.
In Christianity, we are aware of the tension between the dream of God as a present unfolding reality and also not yet fulfilled. This moment has the potential to further diversity in the workplace. It also has the potential to cause us to let our guard down. We’ve got to celebrate these markers while saying, what needs to happen next?
He does point to what needs to happen, but in other parts of the world. Later on in the performance, he says, “Not just an American dream. Also an Irish dream, a European dream, an African dream, an Israeli dream…and also a Palestinian dream.” That’s good stuff, but it furthers the false sense that the dream is accomplished in America. We’ve done it here, now everyone else get your act together.