Juneteenth

By Brother Josias Morobi, OHC, Mariya uMama WeThemba Monastery in Grahamstown, South Africa

I understand today we celebrate the Juneteenth. In the next two days most people in this country will be celebrating and honoring the African American heritage by commemorating the announcement of the abolition of slavery in the US. I know that most if not all of you know the story behind this celebration so I will not re-tell it to you. Instead I will tell you another story.

In South Africa June is marked as the youth month. In particular June 16, is the national youth day. This is the day we remember the SOWETO (South Western Township) uprising, which was the series of protest led by high school students in 1976.

The black high school students protested against the Afrikaans medium decree of 1974 which forced all black schools to use Afrikaans and English as languages of instructions. (Afrikaans is a West Germanic language descended from Dutch, it is mainly spoken in South Africa and Namibia). The association of Afrikaans with apartheid prompted the black South Africans to prefer English. In the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu "Afrikaans is the language of the oppressor." Our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters had to learn mathematics and social studies in the language they did not like.

June 16 is therefore the day we remember the courage of young people who protested against the language they did not like. It is also a day that the South Africans recognise the value of the young people in the country. The remembrance of June 16 has become a motivational story for us as young people in South Africa. It encourages us to stand up for our rights. It is the story that give us strength to make our voices heard. It is the story that tells me that I need to be free.

I need freedom to be me - so that I am not just a figment of somebody's imagination, but an actual person who cares and is cared for. I need to get involved in life, not just to be an onlooker. I need to get close to life, feel it, smell it an sweat over it.I need to be free. Free to laugh or cry; free to live or die; free to be responsible and care. I want to dig into freedom. I do not want the things that the other person wants. I do not believe in someone else's values. I can not live on other persons terms. Some people say they want to help, but what they really mean is that they want to stay on top, and hand out their welfare and clothing, while we smile and act nicely saying things like " Thank you sir or thank you Ma`am'. Well, I do not want anybody on top giving me anything. I want to be on top myself, helping myself, giving myself what I need.

Remember we are all made in the image of God. Which means that we are free to make choices: to love, to create, to reason, and to live in harmony with creation and with God.

You don't ask for freedom, you take it. I do not ask for something that is already in my possession.

Paul in his letter to Galatians writes: It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a]; rather, serve one another humbly in love.(Galatians 5:1, 13). This is our freedom. This is our calling. Freedom to serve one another humbly in love.

Allow me to read the ' General Order No3' that was read by the General Gordon Granger on the 19th June 1865, on the balcony of Galveston’s Ashton Villa.

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves ....

This statement for me is in line with what Paul is saying in his letter this morning: From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 2 Corinthians 5:6-10,[11-13],14-17.

I understand the Juneteenth has become the story of the nation. It is the story that the black people of this country will never forget. It is the story that shall not be forgotten by the people who work for justice. The black people in South Africa have forgiven the apartheid system, but we will never forget what it did to us and our loved ones.

These kinds of stories are good for us because they help us to find our way in life.They act as landmarks to guide us. The beginning and the whole purpose of our continuing relationship with God lies in our story. What ever the story may be. The meaning and the destination of our lives lie in the way our story connects to Jesus and the Gospel of redemption.

I will like to invite you therefore to reflect on your story, because I believe that is where you will most easily find the traces of God's action in your life.

During the next few days or weeks, try to take a little time in prayer just to remember your life and the making of your faith story so far. Imagine your life as a mountain pathway you've climbed. What crags does the path run through? What special views along the way have left you with a sense of joy and wonder? What major milestones have you passed, and how do you feel about them? What important discoveries have been along the path? Where did the path begin, and where is it leading you? What baggage are you carrying, do you ever wish it were not so heavy? What landmarks have guided you on your journey? Was it an easy journey? Is it an easy journey? Can you honestly say that you are free?

© 2012 Br. Josias Morobi, OHC

Home Again

By The Rev. Bernard W. Poppe, Rector

It feels good to be back home and very good to be back in this pulpit. I preached in several interesting places including a monastic chapel and a Cathedral in South Africa, a village church and Cathedral in England. The monastic chapel is a relatively new building and the Rochester Cathedral is among the oldest in Britain. The memories of all those places are like a kaleidoscope of images accompanied by memories of the sounds of drums and ethereal choirs. But of all the pulpits I entered, this is still the one that fits best. There are many stories to tell and lessons learned. I have some to share and I already know that you do as well. Our sabbaticals were each times of exploration, learning and prayerful journey. One of my favorite quotes is from T.S. Eliot and it says: “We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started... and know the place for the first time.” I feel a bit of that now, grateful to have gone, and even more grateful to be back.

As the weeks unfold, so will the stories, but today we have some other kinds of celebration and transitions to observe. We’ll start by looking at the readings.

The lessons today give nice images of new life, growth and hope. Ezekiel wrote of a sprig being taken from the top of a mighty cedar tree and becoming the start of a new tree that would be a haven for birds and beasts. He even goes so far as to say that it will bear fruit. We need to remember that Ezekiel is a prophet, he’s not a botanist. Cedars don’t bear fruit, but the image still works in terms of the growth of the new sprig and the abundance of protection it offers. Ezekiel is writing to a people in exile and giving them hope of new beginnings and a return to their homeland. The image is itself a seed to plant the imagining of a new Israel in the future. In an earlier chapter he uses the metaphor of the cedar to refer to their former line of kings. In the segment we read, clipping the top of the old tree is the suggestion that the royal family will be restored someday. It is in fact the seed of the expectation that a messiah will come to restore that line.

The Gospel echoes this story with the parable of the mustard seed. Again, we have to let go of botanic accuracy in favor of literary license. It’s not really the smallest of all the seeds on the earth, but it’s small. And who hasn’t picked up any tiny seed and been amazed at the tree or shrub that grows out of it? Any growth is a wonder and Jesus uses it here to make the point of both growth and protection. The birds make their nests in the shade of this shrub where they will be safe.

I decided to do some research on this image and although I don’t have a mustard shrub in the yard, I do have some nice trees and I went outside when it wasn’t raining, sat down and watched one. Watching a tree can be very instructive. As for the tree I watched, I noticed that some birds do in fact have a nest in it, while others simply came for various periods of time and flew off. Not all the birds got along and some got along very well. Occasionally one would chirp, sing or coo. But that’s not all. Not only birds are to be found it the trees. There were squirrels and the neighbors cat sat curiously poised, alternately looking at me and then the tree, no doubt like my neighbors wondering what I was doing and why I was there. (It had occurred to me to disguise my intent by holding an open book in my lap, but I decided to keep my focus uncluttered by deception or embarrassment.) I glared at the cat, daring it to go up the tree, it left shortly after. I think it was shaking its head, but I could be wrong.

I counted several varieties of birds and just meditated a bit on the miracle of the seed that took root so many years ago. The kingdom of heaven is like this tree too, I imagined.

The art of the parable is to look at it in different layers. There are some generally accepted interpretations, but there’s no one way to understand them and each person who studies one will have a different take on it.

We have a lot happening today in the life of this parish and while I watched the tree I imagined that it was St. George’s like the kingdom of God where some make nests and stay for a long time raising families, while others are here for a shorter time and will make their nests in another tree. But all in all, it’s a miracle.

We come here to find God, to discover and develop a relationship with God and be enriched by a community engaged in their own pursuit of God. And that is the Kingdom of Heaven. It’s not without squirrely challenges and catlike struggles, (sorry, but I had to put those in somewhere) but over time it’s a place dedicated to the pursuit of the “holy”.

During June we celebrate graduations of our children from various grades or schools and some of our seasonal programs end. At the family service we celebrated and thanked the church school teachers and their fearless leader, Jane Cates. At this service we will be thanking our choir for their work and dedication over the past year. We will also be thanking Mary Davis for her work and ministry among us as she concludes her time with us. I can also say now that she was interviewed yesterday by the Commission on Ministry and approved for the next level of her process and she is now officially a candidate in this labyrinthine journey to ordination.

Today we also observe Juneteenth, commemorating June 19, 1865 when General Gordon Granger informed the people of Galveston, Texas that slavery was over. General Order # 3 was read aloud stating:

"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."

Hats are worn today as a gracious tribute to the traditions of African American women and the crowns they represent from the heritage of proud African dress.

June is also the month of Gay Pride with parades and marches scheduled in many different towns and cities giving witness to the need for further equality and justice. These marches like almost every other march for justice is sometimes met with cheering and welcome and at other times met with jeers, insults, arrest and violence.

In this church this morning we all rest in the shade of this great tree of God’s love. We represent and participate in one or more of the many facets of life celebrated this day or this month. We do so in community and in sharing God’s love. We do so claiming our own voices and in support of our brothers and sisters who are claiming theirs.

Sometimes I like to come in here when it’s quiet and walk around. I like to look at the plaques and memorials and wonder at the people who were here before us. What kind of shade were they looking for and what kind did they find? Using Ezekiel’s image, were they seeds for shrubs or trees? How high did they grow and how high will we grow while protecting the little sprouts in our care?

With all its graduations and celebrations, June is a month that marks transitions and life changes. It watches movements occur in our lives. But like the birds of the parable, we may go from branch to branch or tree to tree in the kingdom of God we are assured that God is a safe secure roost for our wanderings. We may go from place to place, but God is there wherever we go ready to give us shelter, protection and hope. That is the Kingdom of God. Amen.

© 2009 St. George's Episcopal Church, Maplewood, NJ