Giving Thanks

RELIGION TODAY

As Thanksgiving rolls around once again some of you might find yourselves asking “What do some religious exiles from England and the natives of Massachusetts (the Massachuset Tribe in case you are curious) have to do with me?” Well, in 1629 the Puritans who settled in Plymouth, to the north of Boston pretty much died trying to make it through a New England winter, and were rescued by the gentle folk who lived there already. This is the American myth of thanksgiving. It is the myth most of us, myself included, grew up with. When asked what we are celebrating, I always thought this was it.

If you want an equivalent Canadian story, in 1576 Martin Frobisher failed to find a Northwest Passage through the ice above our fair country; but took the time to stop in Newfoundland and have a large celebration of Thanksgiving for safe passage – we could think of this as our Canadian Pilgrim story.

So as we settled down for a night of feasting, thoughts of funny hats and native headdress always filled my mind; and I could never sort out what exactly this Holiday was all about. Nor have I ever understood why the Americans celebrate it at the wrong time; but since my Dad now lives in Indiana, I try for two big turkey feasts every year.

If, however, we take it back hundreds of years; you find that there has always been a religious service that falls on the autumnal equinox, or the full moon nearest it – the “Harvest Moon”; and it has always been a celebration of the harvest. The ancient Celts celebrated Samhain, a cross between Thanksgiving and Halloween for example. From the very beginning people stopped and gave thanks for their good fortune; whether it meant safe passage across the rough seas, or a great harvest despite the lack of rain.

Whether Hallmark likes it or not, Thanksgiving is a religious celebration; and at its simplest form Thanksgiving is exactly what it claims to be, a time to give thanks. Which I think is harder for us to do then we recognize because of one thing – pride. This is also a time to recognize that there is something more to this Universe than us.

Do you remember, early in the Mini-Series “Roots”, when Kunta Kinte’s father holds baby Kunta up to the night sky and says in effect, “This is the only thing in the Universe greater than you are!” It is a great moment, and it recognizes something that I think we sometimes forget – there is something in the universe greater than me!

Too often we are tempted to take all of the credit for what happens in our life. I have worked really hard, so I deserve that promotion. I have a lot of money so people should respect me. I had a personal problem but I was strong enough to help myself out of it. I am a great gardener so I have a bumper crop of tomatoes. Although all of that might be true, we only need one random act to shake us form our lofty pride – a sickness we did nothing to cause, a tragic accident we couldn’t prevent, or a drought that killed off the tomato blossoms.

I like Thanksgiving because I like being reminded that I am not ultimately in control of everything around me (although please don’t let that get out). This is the one time of the year when we can look up at the stars in the night sky and say “Thank You” for all of the things that worked out in our lives, despite the universe’s best attempt to throw curve balls in our path.

And however you recognize your relationship to God, Thanksgiving is the time when we need to acknowledge that we have been blessed in many ways, whether you have food on the table, money in the bank, friends nearby, your health, or even the ability and freedom to complain that life is not working out how you expected – those are all gifts that more people on the planet than we care to admit have to do without. We are each given the opportunity to respond and give thanks for all the good things in our lives, recognizing that there is also pain and hardship, but for right now, we don’t have to worry about that – we just have to let go and enjoy this moment, for each and every moment is a gift. Happy Thanksgiving.