Juneteenth – A Celebration of Freedom
On Thursday, June 19, 2021, President Biden signed a unanimously supported bipartisan bill making Juneteenth, a celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, a federal holiday.
Some see the passage of this law honoring freedom as a needed and historic step of racial reckoning.
Others deem the law more symbolic than substantive – calling it a weightless diversion to placate pushes for reparations, the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and other moves addressing systematic racism, inequities, disparities, and injustices impacting Black people.
Freedom from oppression.
What position and priority does addressing oppression and advancing freedom hold in Christian faith tradition? In our living?
Let’s talk about and explore what the Bible says about it.
This video contains the New Hope Baptist Church Facebook Live Church School lesson “True Freedom” I taught on Sunday, June 27th. It discusses Luke 4:14-21, Jesus’ entrance to earthly ministry in the context of liberation.
View the Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/newhopebr/videos/166786402098137
Explore more:
The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth – https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/historical-legacy-juneteenth
The John Lewis Voting Rights Act – https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/4263
The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act – https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1280
I do not own rights for the music- DGLS cover of John Legend’s “Glory” – https://youtu.be/_gXOuWUqASY
I hope this study was a blessing to you and would love to hear your thoughts. If you are so led, share what resonated with you in the comments.
You may also enjoy these other lessons “Steps to Justice” and “Such A Time as This“.
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Take care, God bless and be well.
Nettye