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Juneteenth: Freedom Rings... With a Harmony All Its Own
Let's be honest — America is still learning how to throw a proper Juneteenth party. There's no agreed-upon dish (though red velvet cake is a strong contender), no standard decoration (unless you count every shade of red, black, and green), and no soundtrack (though if Beyoncé and Mahalia Jackson aren't both on your playlist, you might want to reconsider).
And yet — or maybe because of that — Juneteenth rings true as one of the most deeply American and spiritually profound holidays we have.
At Unity of Louisville, we recognize that Juneteenth is more than a historical milestone — it's a spiritual checkpoint. It's not just a date to be remembered, but a moment to be embodied: the day when news of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation had already been signed.
Can you imagine being told you were free… two years ago?
We often think of freedom as a sudden event, but more often, it's a slow unfolding — a waking up that happens when the conditions are finally safe enough, the right messenger finally arrives, or the soul is finally ready. Sound familiar?
It's the spiritual journey in a nutshell: you are already free, but you don't always know it. And sometimes, the work of community — and church — is to be the one who gently taps another on the shoulder and says: Hey… did you know you're free now? That's the sacred calling we take up at Unity of Louisville.
We don't just honor Juneteenth with red tablecloths or soul food (though we're happy to oblige if anyone's frying chicken). We honor it by doing the work — listening to the history, examining our systems, holding up the mirror. And in the past few years, that work has looked like our congregation showing up for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging training. It's looked like hard conversations, tender breakthroughs, honest questions, and a deeper understanding of the gaps we still need to close.
We don't just say “All Are Welcome Here” — we try to live it, learn it, and grow into it every single day.
This Juneteenth, we are fortunate to welcome the words and wisdom of a Black poet into our sacred space. We are learning to see one another more fully. To listen more deeply. And in alignment with this week's Daily Word, Guidance, we are trusting divine wisdom to help us see the next right step.
Myrtle Fillmore once said, “We shall serve for the joy of serving, prosperity shall flow to us and through us in unending streams of plenty.” To me, that's also about liberation, not just material prosperity, but the rich, flowing abundance that comes when we honor the full humanity of every soul among us.
So yes, let's light the candles. Let's wave the flags. Let's eat something red and sweet. But let's also reflect, repent, rejoice, and rise.
Juneteenth reminds us that freedom delayed is still worth celebrating when it finally arrives. And that true spiritual freedom — the kind that lets us sit together at the table of belonging — is not given from above, but grown from within.
Happy Juneteenth, dear ones. Let freedom and love ring.
I'm looking forward to seeing you this Sunday as I share my talk with you, “Open the Eyes of Our Hearts: A Table for All”.
Blessings, Rev Bobby
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