Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It is observed annually on June 19th, the date in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people in the state were free.
The celebration of Juneteenth is a testament to the resilience of the African American community and a significant milestone in the fulfillment of America’s founding principles.
There are several ways people can celebrate Juneteenth:
- Learn about the history of Juneteenth. There are many resources available online and in libraries.
- Attend a Juneteenth celebration in your community. There are often festivals, parades, and other events.
- Have a conversation with someone about the significance of Juneteenth.
- Reflect on the lessons of the past and how they can inform our actions in the present.
- Take time to thank God that slavery is no longer a reality in our country.
To lift a phrase from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, it is “altogether fitting and proper” that we honor and celebrate Juneteenth.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Juneteenth is an opportunity for believers in Christ to remember what our Lord has done for us. I’m reminded of this account of Jesus’ life as recorded in Luke:
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
Luke 4:16-21
It is ultimately Jesus who “heals the brokenhearted,” preaches “deliverance to the captives,” and liberates those “that are bruised.”
And, so on this Juneteenth, I reflect on both the end of slavery in the United States (something certainly worthy of our attention, gratitude, and celebration) as well as the liberating ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God bless you!
Well done.