When I think about Thanksgiving, there are two images that come to mind. The first is the “greeting card” image of a Thanksgiving meal—turkey, potatoes, vegetables, rolls—arrayed on a large table with family or friends around it. It’s true that some people eat alone; some can’t afford all the “fixings”; some families aren’t able to come together for a host of reasons. But that is the common image of the Thanksgiving holiday. The second image is what the kitchen looks like after one of these stereotypical Thanksgiving meals: dishes stacked up, glasses and silverware and serving platters balanced precariously on counters, a turkey carcass needing to be cleaned off and either (for turkey broth) or discarded in the trash. Though messy, this also is a part of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Since this is a season of “thanksgivings,” I want to give thanks for some of the messy realities in our world today—for the ways these less-than-ideal things still point us back to God and remind us ever to trust in Christ.

I’m thankful for this election season. It has been a powerful reminder of the fragility of democracy and the persistent need to ensure all people have the opportunity to vote for their elected officials. It’s also been a telling reminder about the lingering challenges our nation faces with sexism, xenophobia, white privilege, and maintaining a truly fair and independent press.

I’m thankful for our continued engagement in the Middle East. It has taught us that in today’s interconnected world, we cannot pretend that Christianity is the only religion that matters and that American interests will always be at the top of the global priority list. The refugee crisis and the senseless violence in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, and elsewhere hopefully have humbled us to be mindful of the “ripple effects” of all wars and chastened us to be more compassionate toward every person in need.

I’m thankful for the Black Lives Matter movement and the forceful articulations raised in a variety of forms to challenge racism and the flaws in our criminal justice system. It has taught us how to walk beside grieving mothers and families and stirred us to seek change that heals our land. It has provoked us to ask “what should be done?” as professional athletes use their body-language to further this important discussion. I pray that the faithful, holistic solutions offered by all affected by racism will move from theory to reality soon, for the sake of all our cities and communities.

I’m thankful for mainline churches seeking to stay relevant even as their membership falls, and for a generation of people absent from churches on Sunday mornings who trust their own instincts about being “spiritual” but not “religious.” As God’s spirit moves us from passivity in our pews to engagement in our social environment, the church is alive and strong. As Christ’s story is both told creatively and lived personally, “spiritual” inclinations will have the chance to be grounded in “religious,” sacramental, healing, congregational life.

I’m thankful for ELPC—for upcoming construction dust, for people leaving and coming in, for the hustle and bustle of everyday life. May Thanksgiving mean more than a meal with nice leftovers; and may the messiness around you never keep you from trusting in the Creator who called forth life from primordial chaos and new life from an empty tomb.