06/19/2026
On June 19, 1865, hope finally reached Galveston, Texas, trailing two and a half years behind the Emancipation Proclamation. The war was over, and slavery had ended.
For some, the freedom they had only dreamed of, one that cost too many their lives, was finally theirs. For others, that freedom was delayed even longer.
Today, we honor the image bearers who survived what the enemy meant to break them. We hold the weighty truth of what generations have had to endure and persevere through in the face of injustice.
And we hold onto hope and joy, knowing that each of us is made in the image of God, and at the end of the day, His opinion is the only one that withstands all others. We are all His masterpieces, made with dignity and intentionality, each of us uniquely and equally valuable to Him.
So today, as one church, many nations, one family—we celebrate. We grieve. We remember. And we continue to show up for one another, walking in love and standing for the justice Jesus calls us to embody in the world.
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good…"
—Genesis 1:31
