Friday, June 19, 2020
The Rev. Nathan Bourne
Heal
For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. –Galatians 5:1
Today is Juneteenth. I’m a bit embarrassed to admit it, but up until a year ago, I didn’t know what Juneteenth was, much less make any attempt to celebrate it. On this day in 1865 – two months after the end of the Civil War and more than two years after the emancipation proclamation was signed – Union General Gordon Granger and his troops entered Galveston, Texas and read a federal proclamation declaring that all slaves in the state of Texas had been freed. The following year, those free African Americans celebrated the day of their liberation, and Juneteenth was born. It spread across Texas and the South, and was brought north as free people migrated all over the country.
Juneteenth marks a major step in our nation’s journey towards living up to its own ideals – the promise of liberty for all. The end of slavery was a pivotal moment in our, but it didn’t bring an end to oppression and the suppression of rights of African Americans. The celebration is aspirational – honoring African American culture and history while also looking towards a time when justice and equality are fully realized. This year it comes in the midst of protests and public outcry at the unnecessary deaths of black men and women at the hands of those sworn to protect them. It’s a celebration of progress made, but also a reminder of the gulf between the promises of liberty and justice and the reality of them.
The promise of freedom is at the heart of Christ’s teaching – freedom to turn away from the wrongs of our past and towards more perfect love. The freedom for our lives not to be ruled by what is expected or demanded of us, but by the simple principle of love. Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom – not just for the black community, but for all of us. It’s also a reminder that the freedom of all our fellow humans concerns all of us. In the words of the 19th century poet and activist, Emma Lazarus, “until we are all free, we are none of us free.”
I pray that on this Juneteenth we can rejoice with those who rejoice, be grateful with those who are grateful, and remember the work still left to do until the promise of Juneteenth becomes reality.
I encourage you to join the celebration this weekend with the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. There are events this afternoon and tomorrow.