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Our Diocese of Pennsylvania has the distinction of being the first Diocese in The Episcopal Church to ordain an African American to the priesthood. That priest is Absalom Jones, who we celebrate today.
Absalom Jones had a lot of reasons to be bitter. He was born a slave in Delaware. In order for his children to be born free, he raised money to buy his wife’s freedom while he was still a slave because in those days, a child took on the status as slave or free from the child’s mother. It would be another 6 years before Jones himself would be freed.
Jones held an active life in the church. At St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church, he was one of the first black leaders licensed to preach. But then St. George’s one day decided to force all black members into segregation by making them sit in the balcony. After praying, Jones and the other black members got up and left out of protest. This led to Jones coming to an arrangement with our Diocese to form the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, a parish he would lead as rector.
Everything in Jones’ life could have led him to want to have nothing to do with anyone outside his own community. Yet when the Yellow Fever Epidemic hit Philadelphia, infecting white citizens at a higher rate than black citizens, Jones was one of the people who stepped up to help. Even when there were those who falsely accused Jones of profiting from the Fever, Jones continued to help anyways.
Jones unflinching support of his fellow human being, regardless of race and regardless of the treatment he suffered as a former slave, is something we can all learn from. Jones’ approach is one that comes from Scripture, even the Scripture we hear this morning. In both Isaiah and Ephesians, we hear of the broader work God is doing in the world to free those who are enslaved. In Isaiah, we hear that God is working something new. In Ephesians we hear what that new thing is: the call for all of us to be one body and spirit in the Lord.
The work that Jones did in the time of slavery, work that still continues after the Civil Rights Movement in the work of Racial Reconciliation, is the work of Christians. It’s the work Ephesians is talking about. It’s the work of bringing us all together and helping those around us who need our help.
It’s about showing the love Jesus commands the Disciples to share in our Gospel today. The words of that Gospel are reflected in what we hear in the Two Great Commandments: to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourself.
That love is what Scripture commands us to have. Jones exemplified that love in his life by helping those who spoke ill of him and even those who had enslaved himself and others. It’s the the love of one who wishes to be reconciled in relationship with all the body of Christ, just as God paved the way for reconciliation with us through Jesus Christ. God did this for us even though we have often done wrong to Him. Jones did the same for others in his own life.
At the same time, Jones sought freedom not just for his family and himself, but for others like him. He sought freedom not just from slavery but the freedom to be part of society. That’s the freedom to be part of the larger community. It’s the freedom to be recognized fully as being part of the body of Christ.
Our call as members of the Diocese Absalom Jones served in is to continue to make that dream a reality. Our call is to love all and to serve our Lord together with all who proclaim His name, no matter the color of their skin. We are called to bring freedom to all, the freedom to take a full and active role in all aspects of society, no matter who we are or what we look like. Most of all, we are called to show forth the freedom of all to belong to the body of Christ, and in doing so reconcile ourselves to one another as well as bringing ourselves back in full relationship with our Lord.