Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Grace and peace be unto you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We join together as a community on February 1st, 2025 to mark the beginning of Black History Month. This holy month gives us the chance to think about the lasting impact of African American people throughout America and their heritage countries. We use this season to honor our heritage through festivities while strengthening our bond and moving our community ahead.
The psalmist declares, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1, KJV). Our people have depended on unity for both their basic survival and their progress. Our community has united throughout history from fighting the slave trade to demanding justice during the Civil Rights Movement and still today. God requires us to live in unity as a fundamental spiritual command. It is through our collective efforts, anchored in faith, that we overcome adversity and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14, KJV).
Our spiritual heritage comes from the biblical account that we must remember during this month of celebration. The biblical story of Exodus teaches us about God’s power to free people. Our God knows our hardships and will bring deliverance through His chosen moments. According to Dr. Howard Thurman in his book “Jesus and the Disinherited” the Spirit of God leads people to take action against their era and to predict spiritual progress before their age experiences it (Thurman, 1949). During this month remember that the Holy Spirit who gave strength to the oppressed people continues to empower us now.
Our African origins have led us to create numerous significant, life-saving, and convenient contributions to all of human civilization. Throughout history, our people established Egypt, Nubia, and Ethiopia as empires while creating a cultural explosion during the Harlem Era. We must show our children the struggles their ancestors faced while sharing their victories. Through our teaching we should tell students about Sojourner Truth’s powerful statement “Ain’t I a Woman?” and Frederick Douglass’s declaration “Without struggle, there can be no real progress.“
Our examination of these truths should lead us to renew our commitment to moving society ahead. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in moving forward with courage even through disappointment because he said “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope” (King, 1963). Our mission must remain clear: Our mission calls us to destroy unjust systems and construct links between different groups while working toward a new society based on fairness and peacefulness. Scripture exhorts us, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24, NRSV). All those who follow Jesus Christ must fulfill this responsibility.
I declare our shared identity with African descendants worldwide. Despite our physical separation by water boundaries and linguistic differences we follow the same historical path ahead. We should establish stronger links between our global communities through shared cultural and spiritual experiences. We can build each other up and show the world our strength as one united people.
As we respect our past we move ahead with strong belief and resolve to face the future. As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9, NIV). God leads us forward while we keep moving ahead on our path.
During this Black History Month let us celebrate with enthusiasm and thankfulness – while forging ahead as one people, united in the strength and truth of the very God we serve with purpose, optimism, and unity.
May God protect you and watch over you. May his light shine on you to bring you peace.
In His Love,
The Mst. Rev. D. E. Chase, Ph.D., OSP
Presiding Archbishop
