From my new prayer book, Common Prayer, I learn this from today’s reading: The “watch night” (when in my church tradition the church “prays in” in the New Year) actually began in the African American communities on December 31, 1862. They gathered to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation which would become law on January 1, 1863.

Booker T. Washington wrote,

As the great day grew nearer, there was more singing in the slave quarters than usual. It was bolder, had more ring, and lasted later into the night. True, they had sung those same verses before, but they had been careful to explain ‘freedom’ in these songs referred to the next world, and had no connection with life in this world. Now they gradually threw off the mask; and were not afraid to let it be known that ‘freedom’ in their songs meant freedom of the body in this world.

Freedom. The year of Jubilee. Proclaiming freedom to the captive.

Where will I proclaim that freedom this coming year? Who will the Spirit lead me to so that I may proclaim freedom to their lives? What addictions can be broken in 2011 because I will act in the freedom of the Spirit? What lies can be broken because I dared to proclaim truth? What actions will the Spirit lead me to take in 2011 that will TRULY set captives free?

Watch night. Freedom is coming.