A Christian American Thanksgiving

by Mary Katherine May

November 9, 2013

The act of setting aside time to appreciate and celebrate what we have and victorious events has gone on most likely since before the beginning of recorded history.

It wasn’t something new that the Pilgrims to the New Continent suddenly invented after a long, hard time of hardship, suffering, and death. And it was most appropriate for the giving of thanks to include those native of their new land, for if not for their aid most likely none would have survived. 

President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 declared a day of thanks giving on the last Thursday in November to be a yearly national holiday. From this declaration I read,

October 3, 1863
By the President of the United States
A Proclamation 

The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God. 

No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. 

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

However each individual and family might celebrate Thanksgiving Day, whatever religion might prevail in the home, the actual fact is that from the first thanks giving enacted in this land it was the Almighty God to whom thanks were offered for life and sustenance, for prevailing through great hardship and suffering.

Nowadays Christians are often accused of being exclusive and excluding of those who believe differently than themselves, and none of us like it because such a disposition is in direct contradiction to our Savior Jesus Christ’s great commandment, to Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. (John 13:34 NLT).  Yet in one sense the accusation is true.  Christians do not believe as Oprah tells us, that there many paths lead to God, nor do we believe that we need multiple lives as in reincarnation to get it right.  We do not believe that Jesus Christ taught only a philosophy by which to live.  We Christians are exclusive in that we believe that the one way and only way to salvation and eternal life in Heaven is through Jesus Christ, that He is the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV).  What Christians do that makes us wrongly exclusive, and what Christ commanded us not to do, is judge what is in the heart of others and pronounce their eternal fate.

So here we are now, in the United States of America, where our faith and way of life are being challenged every day.   We see our fellow citizens who do not presently believe in what we know to be true constantly battling to remove God from every part of public society.  We find ourselves liking the fun and glittery society where giving thanks is replaced by football and food, and Santa Claus instead of Jesus Christ is what matters at Christmas, or CHRISTmas. And yet, the act of giving thanks, and I state what is evident, giving thanks is an action.  When we offer thanks we are offering it to someone, and for Christians the one to whom we offer thanks is God.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, for Christians there must be more to thanksgiving than self-gratification. Yes, we are a part of this world, but more importantly we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. For us, who recognize and glorify our Heavenly Father for all that we have and are, for providing for our every need, for giving us the confidence of knowing that we can be at peace because He is ultimately and always in control of the final outcome, for giving us our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his Son, who willingly gave himself in death that changed the world from being broken and separated from his holiness to living in the expectation of hope for a beautiful future, this is what thanksgiving is about.  Certainly, every day should be a day of thanks giving.  To stop for a day of thanksgiving, however, to celebrate life, home and family, giving honor and praise to the One from whom all is given, is very appropriate indeed.  This is the Christian’s Thanksgiving.

Amen.