Did you know that every single year the president of the United States of America releases a proclamation declaring February of that year to be National Black History Month? Every year there is a new proclamation. Last year’s declaration does not carry over into the following year. That means every year our government leaders recommit to remembering, honoring, and celebrating the contributions and spirit of overcoming found in the African American community. I don’t know why, but I thought establishing February as Black History Month was a once-and-done decision. For some reason, I thought that back in the ‘70s our leaders declared that every February in perpetuity would be Black History Month. But no. There is a new proclamation each year. Wow!
It got me thinking about how that realization could change our engagement with this special month. It got me thinking that Black History Month is not something that simply comes along, but is something we have a choice to redeclare and reestablish. We don’t engage out of default, but we engage fresh and new every time.
What would a declaration or proclamation look like from you this February? As we recommit ourselves to living lives as Gracists, we remember what we find in 1 Corinthians 12. God’s Word tells us how to live interdependently within the body of Christ in light of differences of color, class, and culture. 1 Corinthians 12:26 says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”
This is where we get the 7th and 8th sayings of a Gracist: I will celebrate with you & I will heal with you. These two sayings can become fresh declarations for us this Black History Month as those of us from many different backgrounds join in this recognition. When the scripture says, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it,” we remember the history and current reality of suffering that the Black community has faced and we seek to join together in that suffering. Also, when the scripture says, “If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it,” we remember the contributions and achievements of those in the Black community, and we celebrate along with them as we remember those successes.
What can you do to make a declaration this February? Would one of the sayings of a Gracist be a good starting point for you? Personally, I made a proclamation that this month my heart, mind, and voice will be spent in the tension of celebrating and suffering with my Black brothers and sisters, honoring them this Black History Month. Consider the power of believers in a multicultural community like Bridgeway joining together in this type of declaration. What a great picture of the body of Christ living together united as one.
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