Blessings on all the California Marriages

At five p.m. today, marriage will become legal for same sex couples in California. Colleagues in California tell me that they have weddings to perform lined up all week. California doesn't have a residence requirement for marriages, so I expect that many gay and lesbian couples from other states will be heading out west as well.

There will be a lot of press today and tomorrow and maybe even Wednesday about this, and then, I'm guessing it will start to fade, just like it did in 2004 in Massachusetts. During the next few months, thousands of newly married couples will celebrate with their friends and families, they'll open gifts and cards, take a few days off, and then get on with their lives together, with full legal recognition by the state. And they'll learn a day at a time that the promises and joy of the wedding day aren't what makes a marriage work. Most of the couples being married legally this week have been married in their hearts for a long time and already know those lessons.

Those heterosexual couples that oppose these marriage will surely also learn a day at a time that the marital status of their gay neighbors and co-workers really don't affect their own.

The new will become commonplace.

I pray for the day that marriage for all consenting adults, regardless of their sexual orientation, will be commonplace by law across the U.S., commonplace in many faith communities -- yet ever extraordinary for the two people who are taking the courageous and faithful act of pledging to build their lives together.

And so may it be.