Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. James 5:16(NRSV)

This is a time of deep reflection on race in our country. Juneteenth (June 19) celebrates the freeing of slaves in the United States. Declared free by the Emancipation proclamation on January 1, 1863, the word did not reach and become effective for slaves in far-off Texas until June 19, 1865.

I pondered both as I cleaned my shower drain the other day. I had been ignoring the grime building up there, and the ugliness of that dirt reared its head. Not unlike racism in our country, I thought: just because we ignore it, does not mean it’s not there. But we see how ugly it is when we start to root it out.

It takes effort, but God promises healing and cleansing as we scrub; and we believe God’s promises. Just so, healing begins with prayer and confession. Let us confess our sins to each other, praying with and for each other that healing may effect change. Imagine when that comes!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, remembering Juneteenth, give us the courage to confess our sins, that we may be healed. We cling to your promise to listen to us in prayer. Amen

Deaconess Kat Peters, Valparaiso, IN