Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by Black Americans and a time to recognize their role in U.S. history. What began as a week of recognition in 1926 grew through churches, communities, organizations and cities until President Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month in 1976.

This month, we remember the contributions of so many African Americans, including the work of William J. Seymour, Charles Harrison Mason, Ellsworth S. Thomas, Martin Luther King Jr, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks and so many others. These men and women made history through their contributions to the church, the arts, civil rights, music and literature. Even today, their work continues to show us a glimpse of God’s heart to reconcile humanity.

Hebrews 2:11 sheds more light on this reconciliation by explaining that "both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So, Jesus is not ashamed to call [us] brothers and sisters."

At Calvary Church, we are deeply rooted in the understanding that we are all created in the image of God. The individuals above (and those who follow in their footsteps) fulfill their purpose for God’s mission. It is God's heart for us to serve each other and reconcile humanity back to His heart. To recognize this is to recognize that, like a diamond, the imago Dei refracts multiple truths about humanity.

Throughout the Bible, we see a God who did not just create humanity but continues to bring peace, justice and reconciliation. We are all gifted to be an extension of this work. The test of our commitment to the imago Dei is not what we believe about the doctrine of the image of God but how we view, treat and relate to our fellow image bearers. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. This month, we celebrate and recognizing the contributions, achievements and challenges of the African American community throughout history and throughout the church.