Memorial Day has its origins in “Decoration Day,” created by former slaves, and was held in Charleston, South Carolina on May 1, 1865.
This was to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp.
Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it couldn’t be fully enforced in Confederate states until Union troops took control. Texas was the most remote, and it took over two years for the news to reach the 250,000 enslaved people there.
It was a precursor leading up to Juneteenth which….
…. marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that ALL enslaved Negroes were free.
To be clear, Decoration Day was to honor all Union Soldiers regardless of race who were not only Republicans. While the Republican Party was heavily associated with the Union war effort under President Lincoln, the Union Army was a politically diverse coalition composed of Republicans, Democrats, and men with no party affiliation.
I can’t help but wonder that Decoration Day (May 1st) was exactly 50 days BEFORE June 19, 1865. It is not a coincidence then that Juneteenth is a type of Pentecost, a day of celebration.
Talk about a divine orchestration by the Majestic Hand of God! This feast had been predetermined before the foundation of the world and had in it the very DNA of another Pentecost centuries ago, which took place exactly 50 days after the resurrection of Christ who redeemed all of humanity from the stain of sin and of death, and set the captives free! He endowed them with the Holy Spirit and with power
Our ancestors got it right when they named that day of freedom a day of jubilee and called it Juneteenth! They understood the assignment.
So, we now know the whole truth of Memorial Day. There is much work still to be done. Time to lace up our boots and get to stepping. Rise up and be the change.
I wish to state emphatically that a person’s humanity and dignity are NEVER determined by political party or race. It is divinely affirmed and validated by GOD alone, the Creator of heaven and earth who owns everything and everyone. That has been the case since creation. Each person is created in God’s image and likeness.
It is time though for us to stop using social constructs which lead to division and hate. I recognize that during these end times, there is an increase of wars and rumors of wars, nation and tribes fighting one another. Hatred abounds and the love of many people has grown cold. Violence has increased, the like of which has never been seen.
Revelation 22:11 says, “Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”
On a personal note, to the best of my ability, I love my neighbor as myself, despite injustice. For God so loved the WORLD, that He gave Jesus…. no stipulation on who was excluded. God included everyone, no mention of race, religion, language, gender, lifestyle…. all of us were sinners, each with the choice to accept God’s way and the freedom He offers. Or we can do things our own way and be led astray.
Is it easy to love and forgive all? No. But with God, it can be done. We will not forget the evil in the world, never forgetting the real enemy whose intent is to steal, kill and destroy.
Credit for images do not belong to me, the last one is in the pub;oc domain.