Juneteenth – A Day of Justice, Freedom, and Hope.
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
16 June, 2024
The Rev. Robert J. Kossler
Ah, you who wish
For the day of the LORD!
Why should you want
The day of the LORD (Amos, 5:18, Tanakh)
Good morning, my friends, and happy Father's Day to all who love and care for our children in traditional and untraditional ways! I hope you have a lovely day filled with joy, laughter, and memories – new and old.
You may be wondering where this quote from the prophet Amos came from. It was not in today's assigned readings, nor did I ask Cary to copy it into today's bulletin. I rarely diverge from the lectionary, but I decided to take a preaching detour today. You might say it was the "preacher's choice," an unusual deviation in our Episcopal practice.
This Wednesday is a federal holiday, and we will celebrate Juneteenth nationally and across the Episcopal Church. Our celebrations are part of what our Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, describes as "living into the Beloved Community." Despite being a holiday for several years, it does not grab our attention like many other holidays. Nevertheless, for many nationwide, it is a celebration representing justice, freedom, and hope.
When President Biden inaugurated a day of observance in 2021, he explained its importance this way.
"On Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice. And we celebrate the centuries of struggle, courage, and hope that have brought us to this time of progress and possibility. That work has been led throughout our history by abolitionists and educators, civil rights advocates and lawyers, courageous activists and trade unionists, public officials, and everyday Americans who have helped make real the ideals of our founding documents for all." (A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2021 2021)
The president used the language of Equality enshrined in our Constitution and Declaration of Independence, which is like our Church’s charge in our Baptismal Covenant.
Honoring Juneteenth reminds us that we must preserve and learn from the stories of those who lived through slavery and its aftermath here in North America. This remembrance’s purpose is for all God’s children living today, and, in the future, to know the stories of those who came before them. (Juneteenth and the Call to Remember 2022)
We can’t understand unless we know. We can’t know unless we seek and tell the truth. We can’t see what is possible unless we proclaim that truth. We can’t convert unless we live the Gospel message. And finally, we cannot change unless we live out our Baptismal Covenant, striving for justice and peace for all made in God’s image.
Juneteenth is a part of our history that few know about, but we are slowly learning about it. A Gallup survey showed that more than 60% of Americans know “nothing at all” or only “a little bit” about what Juneteenth is or its importance in American history. (Dever 2022) So, why did Congress pass legislation making Juneteenth a national holiday since this was the first federal holiday approved since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983? The legislation stalled but finally gained momentum in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests “sparked” by the police killing of George Floyd. (Grayer and Diaz 2021)
As a historical refresher, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when a U.S. General announced: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” Finally! Two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, all enslaved people in the United States knew they were free. Justice, long overdue, was finally served. African Americans, once enslaved, were now free, free to remember, free to celebrate, and free to hope for better lives. Juneteenth, which started in Texas as a day of celebration and remembrance, slowly worked its way into America’s consciousness, finally becoming a national holiday.
Juneteenth is an opportunity that we, as a church and as a nation, should not ignore. It represents a chance to draw us closer to the ideals of our founding, of our Declaration of Independence,
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Yes, “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” How do we enflesh these ideals, these self-evident truths, and make them real for everyone, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity, and so on? We have an opportunity every time we renew our promises listed in our Baptismal vows. However, there are and always will be forces that stand in the way. I think this is where the lesson from Amos comes in.
You may wonder about the prophet Amos, especially since we only hear his voice once or twice yearly. The Book of Amos is the third book in a collection called the Twelve Minor Prophets. They are minor, not because their message is insignificant but because of their short length.
Amos was a shepherd. He was in the sheep business. (Craigie, 121) He also managed cattle and grew bitter fruit from a fig/mulberry tree. He was a businessman, and his business often took him north to Israel. It is hard to pinpoint the length of his prophetic ministry. Some suggest it only amounted to a week or two; others propose two years. Regardless of how long he prophesied, he was a layman and a businessman and not what we might call a “professional” prophet.
Scholars have not pinpointed the exact period of Amos’ prophetic witness. We know that during this period, Israel reached the peak of its power and economic prosperity. Its kingdom expanded to a size comparable to that of King David and Solomon. (Paul 1991) Along with this territorial expansion, commerce and trade drove Israel’s economy, resulting in a wealthy society with a small upper class (Ibid.)
The focus of Amos’ prophecy was twofold. He preached about God’s righteousness and God’s demand for justice. He understood Israel to be a powerhouse, economically and militarily. (Craigie, op. cit., p. 122) The country was wealthy, but despite Israel’s prosperity, Amos witnessed a massive divide between rich and poor, the wealthy merchants and the subsistence farmers, with the law treating the upper class differently. The wealthy and the powerful often exploited the subsistence farmers and the destitute. Sound familiar?
Amos’s message is bleak, full of woe, shocking his audience. They thought things were great. People had wealth, power, and military muscle. For them, the “Day of the Lord” was a day of celebration. Amos tells them to take stock and reflect on their community and society. To Amos, the people had fooled themselves into believing in their future success. After all, God was on their side. But Amos, Amos has another message. Be careful what you wish for; the “Day of the Lord” may not be as bright as you assume.
Amos calls the people to convert and live a God-inspired life where truth and justice are its foundation. According to Amos, staying the course brings only darkness instead of light. He is also clear that God requires more than surface changes. God is not interested in their liturgies, music, songs, or offerings. If God is a God of justice and righteousness, then God demands a fundamental change of heart. Amos prophesies,
But let justice well up like water,
Righteousness like an unfailing stream. (Amos, 5:24)
Only then will the “Day of the Lord” be a day of celebration and joy.
It is no wonder this passage is used today on Juneteenth. The message is challenging yet clear. It is time to take stock. How are we treating those on the margin? If Amos were alive today, how would he call us to account?
When I studied preaching while in seminary, my professor, an outstanding preacher deeply rooted in the African American tradition, said, “Robert, you can take the people to the dark places, but you can’t leave them there!” It was a message I took to heart, and I think Amos must have had a similar teacher, namely God. Amos ends his preaching with God’s promise of restitution for those who convert. He prophesies,
I will restore My people Israel.
They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them;
They shall plant vineyards and drink their wine;
They shall till gardens and eat their fruits. (Amos, 9:14)
Juneteenth reminds us to celebrate parts of the past that lifted the yoke off the oppressed. It reminds us to remember the failure to live up to the Gospel message and the ideals enshrined in our Declaration of Independence and Baptismal Covenant. It also points forward with a message of hope, the hope of a better life for everyone. Ultimately, our responsibility is to make justice flow and righteousness cease to dry up.
Finally, becoming what our Presiding Bishop Michael Curry calls the “Beloved Community” is demanding. The path is the same as Amos pointed to those many centuries ago. Bishop Curry tells us that Juneteenth is an opportunity to move forward on that path. He wrote,
“Today, the observance of Juneteenth might be a subtle awakening to the truth that even painful truths, once told, do not further enslave us to the past; rather, if we learn from them, they set us free to live a new present and a new future. And that is true for the descendants of former slaves and the descendants of former slave owners,” he said. (Paulsen 2021)
All I think we can add is, “Amen!”
Works Cited
2021. A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2021 . June 18. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing- room/presidential-actions/2021/06/18/a-proclamation-on-juneteenth-day-of-observance-2021/.
Craigie, Peter C. 1984. Twelve Prophets, The Daily Study Bible Series. Vol. 1. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Dever, Ally. 2022. 4 Things to Know about Juneteenth. June 16. https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/06/16/4- things-know-about-juneteenth.
Grayer, Annie, and Daniella Diaz. 2021. Congress passes bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday. June 16. https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/16/politics/house-vote-juneteenth-federal-holiday-senate-passed-june-19/.
2022. Juneteenth and the Call to Remember. June 15. https://www.episcopalchurch.org/racialreconciliation/juneteenth-and-the-call-to- remember/#:~:text=Honoring%20Juneteenth%20reminds%20us%20that,those%20who%20came%20before%2 0them.
Paul, Shalom M., and Frank Moore Cross. 1991. Amos: A Commentary on the Book of Amos. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
Paulsen, David. 2021. Diocese of California creates Juneteenth feast day amid push to add holiday to churchwide calendar. June 14. https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2021/06/14/diocese-of-california-creates- juneteenth-feast-day-amid-push-to-add-holiday-to-churchwide-calendar/.
1985. Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures. Vol. Amos. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society.