What is Juneteenth?
Do you understand the heart of Juneteenth? Most of us do not. Many I asked said they didn’t know what it was – and others felt it was political posturing, divisive, or simply irrelevant. There’s much more to Juneteenth that we need to explore – it is a holiday with deep roots and the potential for beautiful fruit. Juneteenth celebrates freedom and presents us with a way to move toward racial reconciliation and unity in America. It is an expression of Maya Angelou’s famous words:
Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.
The day commemorates June 19, 1865, when – two years after the Emancipation Proclamation – Union soldiers announced FREEDOM to African Americans in Galveston, TX. No one told the slaves that the Emancipation Proclamation freed them in 1863!
Can you even imagine withholding good news like that? It compounded the evil of slavery – and attests to the words of Job, “Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping. (Job 12:5 NIV)”
Even if the ruling class was at ease in 1865, none of us in the world today can claim to be at ease. Racial tensions are at an all-time high. Trust between races is minimal at best. Juneteenth offers an opportunity to intentionally come together and celebrate what we, as a nation of diverse people, have in common: a love of freedom and a need for unity.
What does Juneteenth celebrate?
Juneteenth celebrates the progress made on the path toward freedom for all. It helps us understand our identity as a nation – our struggles, our mistakes, and our victories. We are better today than we were before. If we will walk forward in unity, we will become even better tomorrow!
On the journey to freedom, there has been and always will be barriers to tear down. As Frederick Douglas said, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress. In the fight for freedom, there have been many front-line wars: in education, employment, justice, and equal opportunity.
Truth revealed in the battles gives us traction for continued progress. US District Judge Waites Waring moved us closer to unity with his declaration that “Segregation … can never produce equality.” And the great, black educator, Booker T. Washington illuminated our concept of success by stating, “Success is to be measured … by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed.”
The courage of freedom fighters, the wisdom brought to light, and the victories won are worthy of celebration. Focusing on progress and the truths that undergird freedom helps us all.
Hope & Healing in Juneteenth
But the earthly realities of pursuing freedom reveal eternal truths we ought not overlook. Jesus came to set all men free from the effects and control of sin (Galatians 5:1), and He pleaded for unity among His followers just before His crucifixion (John 17). When we fail to share the Gospel – or fail to live in spiritual freedom – we are no different than those who withheld knowledge of the Emancipation Proclamation from the slaves.
Joining together to work toward freedom for all destroys sin, expresses love for one another, and builds unity. Celebrating our successes and shared goals unites our hearts and hands while reminding us that the battle we fight is not against each other (Ephesians 6:12)!
Nothing epitomized Satan’s work more than slavery (John 10:10b). It stole lives. It killed hope. It destroyed families. Jesus said, “…the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.” and that is what slavery did. But Jesus came to destroy the devil’s work (1 John 3:8). We have a part in abolishing that work. Only as we share the grace and love of Jesus can wounds heal, accusations cease, and shame banished.
We cannot change history, but we can seek to understand that the wounds of the past are wide, deep, and generational. The obstructions to freedom and unity come from sin, and fighting for freedom for all is a work of God, for God. He promised that if His people would humble themselves and seek Him, He would heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14). We need healing in America. We need God’s help. The fight for freedom is an opportunity to come together for things we all believe in, freedom and unity!
Juneteenth presents us an opportunity to come together to share the grief of sin, reject its devastation, and commit to loving better today – and tomorrow. The foundation of Juneteenth rests solidly on God’s deepest desires: freedom and unity for all humanity. How will you celebrate Juneteenth this year?
