A Brief Thanksgiving Reflection
Hello dear readers! It’s been a minute, as they say these days. I haven’t written since September 4th, and only twice since the end of July. Mainly that was because I was focused on preparing to teach, and then actually teaching another partial semester, among other activities. But now, with that behind me and the next teaching stint still a couple of months away, I plan to resume a weekly or near-weekly schedule of these reflections. Thank you for your patience.
Like many Americans this time of year, I have been giving some thought to the matter of thankfulness. One way I’ve done that is to read an excellent book on the subject by a writer named Diana Butler Bass. She describes herself as “an American historian of Christianity and an advocate for progressive Christianity.” I don’t recall how I learned about her, but I imagine it was from one of the various newsletters and podcasts I subscribe to. (One of those newsletters is her own Substack called “The Cottage”.)
The book is simply called Grateful, and while Bass at times interjects it with ideas from her own Christian tradition, she also includes wisdom from other traditions, and aims the book toward a wide audience that includes persons of a variety of religions and no religion at all. It’s a very accessible read, and I highly recommend it.
It was either in Bass’s book or in one of the other sources I accessed this week that I came across the following, perhaps obvious, insight: gratitude focuses on the past, while fear and anxiety focus on the uncertain future. The practice of gratitude calls on us to remember those welcome events and experiences from our past, as well as the good things we enjoy in our present, and give thanks for them (to God, to other people, or to the universe, depending on one’s persuasion). Having the discipline to make gratitude a daily practice helps alleviate the stress we sometimes feel about our uncertain futures, reminds us that the gifts we have received are matters of grace, and reinforces our calling to accept such gifts with a spirit of humility, knowing that many, if not all, exceed anything we have done to deserve them.
As at least one of these books/newsletters/podcasts explains, one vital purpose of gratitude is to inspire us to respond, not only in words, but also through action. We prove and perfect our gratitude by giving to others, whether that giving takes the form of tangible gifts to loved ones, donations to charity, or service to people in need and to worthy causes.
As we enter a season of giving, and often find ourselves immersed in anxiety over what feels like an increasingly dangerous and uncertain world, we would do well to pause each day and remember what we have to be grateful for, thank others who have helped us on our journeys, and extend acts of kindness and material blessing to those in need, both near and far. As I’ve been learning from wise sages, having the discipline to make gratitude more than an attitude but a daily practice will enrich our lives and better equip us to enrich the lives of others.