by Rev Robert A Wendel
“Enter (God’s) gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Abraham grew strong in faith as he gave glory to God.” (Psalm 100:4-5; Romans 4:20 NRSV)
Recently I watched a bit of the film Dr. Zhivago and I heard enough of the soundtrack of Laura’s theme which serves as a reminder of what happened in the story before. Germans call this dramatic idea-leitmotif.
Of course, the Thanksgiving holiday has its traditions. But memory plays a big part in what happens the third Thursday in November.
Memory is a two-edged sword. It helps us recall heart-warming people and events. But, family can also bring up mistakes we’d rather forget. That’s why “the meal” can be so stressful. Suddenly God’s grace comes into play.
Make a list of whatever you’re not thankful for and measure it against the foundations of our Christian faith. All of these were written into the Apostle’s Creed which begins “I believe in …” As Abraham did, in his fallen word, we, imperfect humans, must learn to walk by faith.
“Can we not trust God to give us everything we need?” (Romans 8:32, Phillips).
French Catholic priest, Henri Nouwen, wrote, “We are God’s beloved children. We cannot allow the curses of this world to darken our hearts. We must choose to receive God’s blessings and pass them on to others.”