Thanksgiving and a divided America

Thanksgiving is a wonderful American holiday. But as we celebrate it in 2018, we do so as a deeply divided country. This has been very evident with the recent midterm elections.

Although the two main political parties seem to be drawing further and further apart in their visions of what the future of the United States of America should look like, it is sometimes pointed out that what unites us far surpasses what divides us.

I believe this is true, but what can be done to reverse the widening chasm of what continues to tear us apart? Maybe we could start with our Thanksgiving holiday.

Could it be that as Americans we are losing our ability to be thankful? Rather than looking at what we do have, it seems we’re focusing more on what we don’t have. We see the proverbial half-empty glass of water rather than the half-full. The result is anger, hostility and division.

The issues debated during the recent elections are indeed important, and we are all entitled to our opinions. But the lack of civility in our discussions and debates only makes things worse.

We’re all familiar with the origin of the Thanksgiving holiday. Escaping persecution in the Old World, the first Pilgrims journeyed to the New World in search of religious freedom. But what they first experienced after their arrival were harsh winter conditions, hunger and disease, which resulted in half of them dying.

I wonder if those first Pilgrims regretted that they had taken the journey. I wonder if they wanted to return to England. I wonder if they were mad at God for what they had suffered.

The following year, with the help of the local Native Americans, they produced enough food to provide for them through the second winter. They celebrated by giving thanks to God, and did so by having a community meal.

Was thankfulness a factor enabling them to endure and ultimately lay the foundation for what would become the greatest nation on earth? I believe so.

Thankfulness helps us see our lives and circumstances in a different light. It can help us appreciate what we have and see the half-full glass of water.

So this Thanksgiving holiday, may we be thankful for the food on the table, our family and friends, the freedoms we enjoy, and our fellow citizens.

Let us also pray for this country we all call home, remembering the Bible verse: “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”