For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight.

Romans 2:13

The other day a friend – Ronald – posted a story about getting out of a speeding ticket. It was an especially great story because all he did was to pay attention, listen respectfully, and respond thoughtfully.

The real point was that he listened, he was humble, he was compassionate, and – bonus! – he was able to pray with/for the patrol officer. He was, essentially, the presence of Jesus in the situation (except Jesus probably wouldn’t have been speeding…). Getting a warning instead of a ticket was gravy.

It made me think of my best avoid the ticket story. Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

Top down, music up!

I had just finished a round of golf that had gone unusually well.

Things could easily have gone the other way, because I made the classic mistake of checking my score on the 18th tee. “If I par this,” I said, “I break 80!” All golfers know to never say that – especially out loud. It’s like an automatic double bogey when you do.

Instead, and with a great amount of luck, I birdied the hole. 78! Amazing! Unprecedented.

So I drove home very much full of myself. Roof open, The Eagles “Life in the Fast Lane” playing full blast, me singing along with enthusiasm, driving too fast.

I got pulled over in a school zone.

• Officer: “Sir, do you know how fast you were driving?”
• Me: “No. But if I was speeding I’m not surprised. I can tell you why; it’s a great story….”
• Office: “I’ll bite.”
• Me: (tells the golf course story)
• Officer: (chuckles) “Driver’s license, please.”
• Officer: “Wait! Are you Derek Maul?”
• Me: “That’s right.”
• Officer: “The Derek Maul who wrote that feature about my mother in the paper last week?”
• Me: “Susan Rayburn’s your mother? What a cool lady!” (pause….. ) “Er, you want to know what else is funny? Your dad, Buddy, was the principal who hired me to teach here a few years ago!” (the school zone where he’d pulled me over)
• Officer: “Get out!” (pause…..) “You know I could write you a $350 ticket?”
• Me: “Yes sir.”
• Officer: (leans in with hand outstretched) “But I just want to shake your hand.”

The officer sets the tone:

Of course he gave me a warning, and he was serious. And I wasn’t flippant about the importance of driving safely. What stayed with me, and why my friend Ron Stone’s story struck a chord, was the fact that interactions with people in uniform can absolutely be friendly and cordial.

It was the same out at Pensacola Beach a few weeks ago, and that time I actually did get a ticket. I apologized, he explained why the speed limit was so low (they are protecting nesting birds), I thanked him for taking care of the birds and also for helping me understand, he gave me an expensive ticket, and then we all went on our way.

But cooperation and respect absolutely must go both ways. In fact – and as a former school teacher I know this only too well – it is the person with the authority/power in the interaction who is responsible for modeling appropriate behavior.

it is the person with the authority/power in the interaction who is responsible for modeling appropriate behavior.

That’s right. Even if the student (the driver… the suspect) is rude or angry, it is the teacher (the officer) who must model respect and reasonableness and moderation.

So there you go, that’s the story – DEREK