But do you know there are twenty-one dreams recorded in the bible? Five of them are found in the New Testament. St. Matthew's Gospel tells of Pontius Pilate's wife relating her dream to her husband. But more is said of her in the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus, such that for her dream-attempt to save Jesus from death, the Eastern Church calls her Saint Procla.
More than a few Christians would put faith in Solomon's dream, Abimelech's dream, Nebuchadnezzar's, Daniel's, Laban's, Joseph's (OT and NT) dreams — even the repeated dreams of the three wise men, but scoff at Martin Luther King's dream. Why would that be?
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." MLK Aug. 28, 1963
As Dr. King was preparing his Washington Mall speech, the great American Gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson (+1972) said, "People don't now it, but they're going to church today."
In that speech, Dr. King said "I have a dream" eight times.
"I have..."
Other people make claims about what they have too.
They say things like:
"I have friends in high places."
"I have so and so's ear."
"I have the mob behind me."
"I have my contacts."
"I have my base."
"I have the know-how."
"I have the votes."
"I have my sources."
"I have everything I need."
"I have inside information."
"We have the guns."
"We have the majority."
"We have the numbers."
"We have the money."
And perhaps that most ridiculously presumptuous claim ever:
"We have God on our side."
But ...
"I have a dream that...one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers." MLK Aug. 28, 1963
