Thanksgiving? … in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey? Thanksgiving? … with Irma promising further destruction? Should I then give thanks like the Pharisee, who, in Jesus’ parable, gave thanks because he was not like the tax collector pleading for mercy?[1] Or, should I give thanks that the day before me promises warming sunshine, pleasant temperatures, and the opportunity to write, relate, and read without giving thought or energies to rotting drywall and slithering water moccasins?
Surely the answer to my first, fully-formed question is a resounding “no”: I should not give thanks because the overwhelming, physical and emotional grief of those in and around Houston and New Orleans is not mine. And most assuredly, like the Pharisee, I should not give thanks, thinking that I am somehow better or wiser or more blessed, because their suffering is not mine. Rather, as the second question suggests, I should give thanks for what I have been given. It is this “thanksgiving,” which directs us to the heart of the Greek word for “thanksgiving”: εὐχαριστία (cf. eucharist); for at its heart is the word, χάρις, which we translate as “grace” or “favor.”
Thus, I would offer, “thanksgiving” is our response to the grace or unmerited favor that has been bestowed upon us — and ultimately, what do we have that has not been given to us? If we are willing to track the sequence — truly a humbling exercise — we will recognize that all that we have is a gift. Oh admittedly, one can rightly argue that much depends upon how we use the gifts given to us; nonetheless, our use of these gifts is still greatly contingent upon a variety of factors beyond our control or determination.
I do not mean to offer “Pollyanna glasses” (i.e. that we're thankful for evil), but I would have you remember, even as I seek to remember, that we have much for which to be thankful, even in dire circumstances. As the Apostle Paul languished in a foul and fetid Roman prison, he nevertheless was able to pen:
“Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”[2]
Thanksgiving became his entrée into the peace of God, whereby he then could state: “for I have learned to be content with whatever I have,” irrespective the circumstance.[3]
[1] Cf. Luke 18:9-14.
[2] Cf. Philippians 4:6-7.
[3] Cf. Philippians 4:11-13.