by Dr. Ernest Burns
This weekend there will be celebrations all over America for Juneteenth. If you do not know what this celebration is about you can look it up and it explains in detail what it is all about. But I will give you a brief overview of how it came about.
On Jan. 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation was the day all slaves were to be freed and in most states they were. Slave owners in these states were responsible for letting the slaves know that they were free. In Texas, slaves did not find out that they were free until 2 1⁄2 years later – June 19, 1865, until union troops forced the owners to enforce the law.
I attended my first Juneteenth celebration about seven years ago down in South Georgia. I had never heard of Juneteenth up until that day.
Slaves met in the church on the night before Jan. 1, 1863 (New Year’s Eve) waiting for this freedom-which we now celebrate as Watch Night Service. Just the thought of my ancestors waiting in anticipation to be free sends goosebumps on me now and the fact that some celebrated and others did not know they were free. This leads me to think about how Jesus came and redeemed us from the curse of sin and its effect.
Some people are walking around that have not heard the word of God. You would think that all would have heard the good news of being free. There are powers that try to keep this news from your hearing.
In our world today, Ephesians 6:12 holds true: “For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”
I alluded earlier that I only found out about Juneteenth seven years ago and that is to my shame and the fact that Black history is not taught in our schools. Do not get mad at me when I learn one more thing about my history. I have heard that we should not bring up the past and that it just stirs the soul of people. Black history is American history, and that Black history is the consciousness of America.
I see Juneteenth as America being asleep and awaken (woke) after a long sleep. Just as the slave owners were responsible for sharing the good news about the Emancipation Proclamation to the slaves, my job is to share the good news about the gospel of Christ. I would never tell you to forget about all that he has done for you. He told Peter – If you love me, feed my sheep. All of us are like sheep and have gone astray. Jesus told the disciples that he was going away, but he would not leave them comfortless and that another would come and lead them to all the truth.
We need all the truth, not just some of it.
Celebration is in order, Happy Juneteenth!
Dr. Ernest Burns is pastor of Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Cornelia. Email him at drburns@windstream.net.