This week the news has been filled with stories following the actions taken to codify Juneteenth as a National Holiday. I admit I was an adult when I first heard of Juneteenth and a seminarian before I understood the impact and importance of it as a celebration of life, liberty, and freedom. It commemorates the last State in the Union receiving word of the Emancipation Proclamation; that slaves had been freed by law. We should all know and acknowledge that former enslaved persons continued to be abused and murdered yet that is a story unto itself for another time.

The news that we are free is a deep part of what it means to be a Christian. The word Gospel literally translated means Good News. Freedom from the bondage of sin, death, and destruction is a phrase we use to describe the wonder filled acts of God in the world. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection break the chains of slavery that held creation apart from God. No more barriers remain. We are heirs in Christ of God’s eternal kingdom. A transformation from the least to the greatest in that style of reversal that Jesus taught us about during his ministry.

Freedom is the hope of every person trapped, enslaved, or abused. The chance to choose for themselves what they will do, where they will go, and most importantly who they are. Slavery tears at the mind and soul of our human selves leading us into beliefs that are twisted while seeming perfecty reasonable, given the circumstance. To be free from slavery is the beginning of the work of unmaking a horror.

The realities of freedom are radically different from those of bondage. All the while it takes work to heal the long neglected wounds that the enslavement causes. As Christians we can understand this life of a freed person in ourselves and in our lives through faith. As citizens of this nation we may or may not be able to understand what Juneteenth means depending on our background and experiences.

My prayer for us this Juneteenth is that we recognize the joy in freedom and hold fast the love that heals from our Savior Jesus Christ.

In Peace,

Fr. Chip