Why has Thanksgiving become such a national tradition? It is one of the few holidays that is celebrated by almost everyone. I view it as a Christian holiday because I am giving thanks to God. People of other religions can feel the same sense of thanks even if we have different beliefs. People of no religion can also feel thankful. They can think happy thoughts or have a sense of gratitude to ancestors or the human spirit. It is a chance to focus beyond ourselves.
It is a national stop sign. It is a time we all stop, at least for a moment, and experience an awareness of gratitude to something bigger than ourselves.
It is appropriate that it comes a few weeks after the general elections. We have had a bit of time to notice that the country has not dissolved into chaos and ruin. The black helicopters have not arrived on my lawn. The internet has not been shut down. We seem to be muddling along, at least for a few more weeks. We need to stop and be thankful that there is still time and liberty. We need to make the most of it.
It is appropriate that it comes a month before Christmas. It should set the mood and help us to focus. It should give us a chance to stop, looks at our blessings, examine our priorities and go into the season of giving with a desire to really give and not just spend. Every year we have a pause to get ready to move ahead and change directions. We can make this holiday into what the word originally meant: Holy day. For Christians it is a chance to remember that the first Christmas was the incarnation, the word made flesh in the fulness of time. For non-Christians it is a chance to take advantage of the celebration that they are invited to share.
So stop.
Be thankful.
God bless you and yours, even if you don’t believe.
homo unius libri
Thank you. The blessings are awesome when you factor in the spiritual parts of walking with the living God.
ReplyDeleteGrace and peace.