It appears that there are at least two different kinds of people in yours or mine or anyone’s life. Including ourselves.
There are those who are thankful for who they are and what they have.
While others are, by contrast, those who tend to be bitter and/or resentful over who they aren’t and what they don’t have.
In the first of his several letters in the Christian New Testament, the missionary Paul encourages his fellow followers of Jesus to “give thanks in all circumstances . . . .” (I Thessalonians 5:18).
Often Paul’s “circumstances”–at least when he was writing letters now found in the Bible–they were those of one imprisoned. While that appears not to have been the case when this Thessalonians letter was written, he was at the time, however, being pursued by those intent on, if not killing him, at least stifling his mission and ministry.
So if Paul’s sitz im leben (his “life situation”) may not have necessarily evoked his “gratitude,” his “spiritual circumstances” seem clearly to have transcended his “material/physical circumstances.” The former being his relationship with God, whom Paul claims to have known most and best in the person and work of Jesus. He who, for Paul, was the “living, resurrected Christ.”
Except that for Paul, the transcending of one’s “material circumstances” for the sake of one’s “spiritual circumstances” was cause for “thanksgiving” even in the midst of “suffering.” Since the latter Paul construes as “sharing in Christ’s suffering” (II Corinthians 1: 5).
For my money, the most important word in the Bible is the Greek word, charis. From which come two other words of comparable value: charisma and eucharist.
In English, charis is translated as “grace”; charisma is translated “gift”; and eucharist means “thanksgiving.”
The consensus meaning of “grace” (charis) is that of “unconditional acceptance.” At least in the Bible, in reference to God. Or to say it another way–on Christian terms–we are loved (accepted) of God, not because of who we are or aren’t, but because that is who God is.
This, in contrast to most other relationships, activities, aspirations, attitudes, achievement, behavior, or what have you, which are usually more or less “conditional.”
The connection, then, between these three Bible words is this: “grace” (charis) is a “gift” (charisma) for which we are “thankful” (eucharist). That is, at least, a Christian way of saying it.
As (or if) you read this blog posting today, we Americans are celebrating Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday for the following reasons.
1. Thanksgiving is less “sectarian” than Christmas or Easter or the Hanukkah celebration of our Jewish friends. Even the most secular of people are capable of and often are “thankful.” If not necessarily to God, at least or perhaps to someone or something else. Just as I know some secular people for whom I am “thankful” (eucharist) for the “gift” (charisma) of how “gracious/grace-full” (charis) they are in the relatively “unconditional” ways they relate to me and others.
2. Thanksgiving is less “nationalistic” than the Fourth of July. Even though this holiday is somehow related–if I may indulge in a bit of non-de-constructionist American mythology–to our nation’s history; in particular, to the Pilgrims who first celebrated Thanksgiving with the Native Americans who befriended them in their new homeland.
Tragically, a “friendship/hospitality” on the part of the “hosts” which would later be betrayed by the “visitors/ immigrants.”
3. Thanksgiving is less “ostentatious” than how Christmas has come to be exploited in America these days. In contrast to the “materialistic vulgarity” of Christmas, as it is too often expressed, Thanksgiving has (at its best) a relative “modesty” to it that feels more “refreshing” than “indulgent.” At least in economic terms.
Until the day after Thanksgiving, which has apparently been reduced nowadays to the “violence” (economic, emotional, even physical) of what is now termed “Black Friday.”
As for Thanksgiving’s downside, there are only two typical “excesses” that would seem to carry moral consequences. One is “gluttony”; the other, “sloth.”
‘Though “sloth” is not usually characteristic of the distaff side in most families, and certainly not where I live. Since my wife, Jackie, is as “industrious” in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, even beforehand, as she is on most other days.
I would help, as on any other day, with the Thanksgiving meal preparation, even the cleanup, except that–according to Jackie–I’m more trouble than helpful. So if someone at our house has to be entrusted with carrying out the “sloth” quotient of our Thanksgiving celebration–including (speaking of “violence”) watching too much football on television–that responsibility naturally falls to me.
Unfortunately, it is only exceeded by my capacity for “gluttony.”
In my defense, however, I once pastored a church for a number of years. And the tradition, in the neighborhood where the church was located, was that ours and several other neighboring congregations would gather collegially for an annual ecumenical Thanksgiving worship service.
So when a new Southern Baptist pastor moved in next door, I called to invite him to participate in the upcoming service. Except, in declining, he explained to me that he “did not worship with Catholics and Episcopalians, since they weren’t Christians.” After which, he preached me quite a sermon, the purpose of which was to warn me of the “evils” of worshipping with Catholics and Episcopalians, even on Thanksgiving.
That may have been when I decided that when it comes to “sinning” on Thanksgiving, I’d stick to “gluttony” and “sloth.”
