Our American Thanksgiving

As is the case regarding most of our holidays, America is in need of a renewed understanding and appreciation of Thanksgiving. In the same way that Christmas without Christ is empty, Thanksgiving without knowing to whom and for what we are giving thanks is just an excuse for eating a lot of pie.

WHAT IS THANKSGIVING?

Thanksgiving is not just an arbitrary day for a big turkey dinner. This holiday stems from centuries of history, going all the way back to the famous stories of the Mayflower pilgrims who celebrated a feast with the local Indians in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and gave thanks to God for their seemingly miraculous survival. When they gathered around their table to celebrate that feast all those centuries ago, they knew exactly what they were thankful for, and they knew that they owed their thanks to God for His mercy and provision.

HOW SHOULD WE CELEBRATE TODAY?

To commemorate this uniquely American holiday faithfully, we ought to consider a few things about the men who celebrated it before us. First of all, as we mentioned earlier, they weren’t being grateful in an abstract, directionless way. The pilgrims knew and vocally acknowledged that everything for which they were so thankful was a gift from God in His providence and love. The ship that carried them over the sea, a safe piece of ground to land on when they arrived in America, and the help of friendly Indians who – I kid you not – already spoke English when the pilgrims arrived, the health of the survivors, and the sufficient harvest to see them through the winter were all understood to be gifts from God. Some men would focus on the hardships they had endured and the grievous losses they had sustained. Many of the pilgrims died before even reaching America, after all. Many more died in their first year in the New World. Despite all of that suffering and hardship, the pilgrims understood that the proper response to their ordeals was to render thanks to the God who had seen them through so much hardship, even while they could reasonably anticipate more hardship in the future. That was the reality they faced not only on that famous Thanksgiving feast day, but every Sunday when they gathered to worship and give thanks and offer praise all over again to the God who sustained them through hardship, disease, hunger, and wars. The God who planted the seeds of America centuries ago is the same God who has providentially sustained America through countless toils and dangers and given her all of the many gifts that we enjoy today. Let us not forget to whom we as a nation ought to give our Thanks today.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

That’s all well and good, but this is the blog of a political party. What does all this stuff about Thanksgiving have to do with politics or governments?

It has everything to do with politics and government. Because Thanksgiving Day is not just about you and me huddling in our homes and giving thanks for a nice dinner. Thanksgiving is about the people of the United States giving collective thanks to the same God that those old pilgrims worshiped four hundred years ago. Lately, it seems undeniable that many in our country have forgotten God and despised Him, spitting on His name in return for His generosity to us. Is it any wonder that a nation which fails to praise and thank the one true God will suffer the kinds of strife that we have suffered? In a country that turns her back on God, what can we expect if not assassinations, murders, infanticide, rampant divorce and dissolution of families, disappearing social trust, and all other manner of public woes that we have endured in recent decades?

In politics, the normal men and women who care about public matters but lack political savvy and experience are often left wondering, “What can I do about all of this?” Well, today, if you want to see your nation restored to a wholesome, thriving, strong, and peaceful homeland, you can start by humbling yourself before God and giving Him your praise and Thanksgiving for all that He has done for you, your family, and your neighbors, and you can bid others to do likewise.

Without true thanksgiving, our nation will not endure. But if we have true thanksgiving in our hearts, even if our beloved nation should crumble, we will have greater happiness and peace than the unthankful can ever know, even in the most pleasant of circumstances.

Happy Thanksgiving.