In 1961, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood on the campus of Chapman University and spoke the words that would become his "I Have a Dream" speech. He spoke of justice and the need for people of faith and thought to join together to create a society in which every human being is treated as an equal partner in God's creation, with equal rights and equal value. It was a time of protests for peace and of singing songs of solidarity in the face of segregation.

Forty-seven years later, Chapman students are still hearing those words and feeling the Holy Spirit flow through them. Some 60 of us gathered in the wake of California's vote eliminating the right of same-sex couples to marry, and we prayed with those whose rights were voted out by a privileged majority on November 4. We spoke of the belief that Dr. King's words are still valid today, and that he would have something to say about the fight for marriage equality.

This story is my own, and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of HELM, the Student Ecumenical Partnership, or the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). What it does reflect is the heritage I have in those institutions that have taught me to be in conversation about the best way to carry out justice in the world for all God's children. It is easy to read the words of a prophet and be moved, but it is through the church that I have learned to embody those words, and so I thank you, no matter what your opinion on 'gay rights,' for continuing the discussion.