Juneteenth is a celebration of liberation and freedom for all. So, on this day, June 19th, everyone comes together to stand hand in hand with one another and celebrate the abolishment of slavery.
This day celebrates and commemorates a time in our history when color defined a community. Where the content of someone’s heart was colored by their hue. The year 1865 said no more to the imprisonment of our siblings in Christ, for it was a new era. I joyfully echo the words from the letter of Galatians and say, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” For in God’s kingdom, we are all a part of the beautiful tapestry of the church, which consists of various hues, shapes, sizes, and rough edges.
Juneteenth is an opportunity to celebrate and continue to stand with one another and speak out for justice and equality. To bear the burdens of our neighbors when they cannot and proclaim the good news Christ bestowed upon us before he departed this world.
This message is excerpted from “Litany of freedom: Juneteenth colorful family” by Ralen M. Robinson from the June 17, 2023, blog of the Women of the ELCA. Today is Juneteenth.
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