ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 19, 2022
Today is Juneteenth! I first learned of Juneteenth back in Jr. High from a teacher who wanted us to know the parts of history not always taught. It was probably about the time Texas (I was living in Nebraska at the time) became the first state to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. For anyone who might not know the history of Juneteenth (sometimes called Jubilee Day), it is the day the message of emancipation reached Texas, some 2 1/2 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Lincoln. Many slave owners from other states moved their slaves to Texas during the Civil War as it was thought to be a safe place. But on June 19, 1865, word finally made it to the southern shores of Texas — with the reading of Order 3. At that moment, 250,000 slaves in Texas were officially free. This morning, in my sermon, I will talk about the difference between an official declaration and reality on the ground. There was a short period of time during reconstruction when there was hope, but it quickly collapsed under the weight of racism and a system still dependent on slave labor. Blacks were arrested for minor offenses, given large fines they could not afford, and leased to farms and big businesses for what was the equivalent of slave labor. Between 200,000 – 300,000 people, mostly black men, lived in these conditions. Emancipation came, but not really. Juneteenth is an important day to celebrate, and I am proud that Texas was the first state to recognize it as an official holiday. Yet, like a lot of important days in history, it should not be viewed as the finish line. Instead, it is a reminder of our not-so-perfect union that continues to progress toward even greater equality and opportunity. May it be so!
May the freedom proclaimed be the freedom more and more come to experience. Holy God, you have cast a vision for a true and just life for all, yet we continue to fall short as a human race. Be our encourager as we live our lives in the name of and to the glory of Jesus Christ. Amen.
