On this Juneteenth, we reflect on that pivotal moment in our nation’s history when people of African descent were proclaimed free in the land that had long enslaved them, denying their inherent dignity, and yearning for basic equality. While we rightly mark this anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the delayed justice it sought to grant, we know that the path to freedom for our Black American sisters and brothers was a long and arduous one that would take many more years - too many years and too much struggle - to be realized.
We appeal to the Lord our God who frees the oppressed and holds accountable the oppressor to embolden us in the ongoing work of rooting out the sin of racism in all its blatant and subtle forms.
May we be true to the Gospel in never keeping silent when confronting acts of injustice or systems and practices that perpetuate inequities. May we seek out, lift up and enable those in our midst who have been left behind. And may we seek constantly to right the terrible wrongs of our past with words and actions that fulfill the Lord’s command to love one another as we do our very selves, and as He has loved us.
Bishop Michael Fisher
Bishop of Buffalo