Thanksgiving 2012
Thankful? Content? (or none of the above?)
Kevin M. Nelson, November 13, 2012
As retail stores push the boundaries to gobble up their piece of the spending pie, another holiday of Godly significance is losing its meaning right before our eyes.
Several of the big players in the retail realm are reportedly pushing to open on Thanksgiving, a day ahead of the chaotic “Black Friday” (when extreme shoppers fight ravenous crowds before dawn), in order to capture some of the sales that have gone to online retailers in recent years.
Most all of us have fallen prey to the indulgences of consumerism at least once or twice,
“Buy it NOW (even though you don’t really need it) and Save 75%!!”
“Buy Two (which is one more than you need, and two more than you can afford) and Get a Third One FREE!!”, and even if it’s an item we don’t need or even want, we just can’t resist getting “stuff” for a great low price, and will justify our purchase every step of the way.
So what’s the big deal, right? We live in a free country. Capitalism keeps the factories cranking and the masses employed. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? After all, sometimes they put really useful things on sale, “stuff” we actually need. Who can afford to pay full-price these days anyway, right?
For those disciplined souls able to achieve perfect balances between frugality and cheapness, diligent forethought and aimless greed, the acquisition of a meaningful bargain can translate into a wise financial decision. But how many of us with the packrat mentality “we’ll need that thing someday” have allowed impulse at the retail level to adversely alter the course of our financial planning?
So long as Satan and his minions roam the earth, so long as it is within our carnal nature to accumulate in fear of lack, and so long as someone somewhere is making the latest and greatest “thing” and offering it for next to nothing (“If You Buy Today [limit one per customer, some restrictions may apply]”), there will always be some greed in our society.
But what is it all costing us?
Beyond the more geo-political implications of dependence on foreign “stuff”, and beyond the accumulation of credit debt, we are slowly losing any meaningful connections to once meaningful holidays. Not only has the desire to give the best gifts of anyone else on Christmas slowly stolen the joy and peace of the season, it has now begun to alter another day originally focused on God- Thanksgiving.
To atheists and agnostics, (and dare I say- many Christians), the fourth Thursday in November has become just about food, family, and planning for Black Friday. What we call “Thanksgiving Day” is becoming nothing more than a well-executed turkey-themed family reunion for the Fall Season. Getting together with family over a nice meal is not a bad thing, but that alone is not thanksgiving.
Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1990: thanksgiving n. 1 a formal expression of thanks to God. 2 [T-] an annual U.S. holiday observed on the fourth Thursday of November.
What many Americans have seemingly forgotten is that definition 2 was originally meant to be forever tied to definition 1.
At best, for some, the day has become about being pleasantly content, or happily satisfied. The word “thankful” might be used, but with no heavenly target in-mind. “I am thankful [to my boss] I have the day off”, “I am thankful [to my wife for saying Yes] to have my wife”, “I am thankful [to myself for being such a great worker] for being employed”. No, people don’t always verbally acknowledge this misdirection of thankfulness, but I would challenge you to observe how many times God is actually acknowledged at your family gathering. As Christians, the Bible tells us that God is the source of our provision. It is not simply a matter of our scheming. It is not simply “luck of the draw” or “Karma” bringing us health and contentment and resource. We owe thanksgiving to God, for all of these things (our family, marriage, job, home...) and our eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.
At worst, for a growing segment of society, it is not even a day about being remotely content. The day begins and ends with griping over how everything isn’t quite perfect, the turkey is dry, the in-laws are late, and the mall will be hell tomorrow. It is a day to make the list and check it twice, while planning the Black Friday shopping routes. Stuff! We need more stuff! Stuff-Mart is going to have that new stuff for next to nothing, but I need to leave right after dinner, or go back at 4 AM!
I hereby stand against the notion that Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful to anyone else but God Almighty. (Hallmark has covered the rest quite adequately). Thanksgiving is not Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, or Boss’s Day. Thanksgiving is not Veterans Day, Memorial Day, or Patriots Day. Thanksgiving is not “Turkey Appreciation Day”, “Native-American Awareness Day”, or “Christmas Shopping Preparation Day”.
So, whether you are planning to navigate the sea of cranky shoppers to save a few bucks, or not, please consider being intentionally mindful of the meaning and purpose of Thanksgiving this year. Make it a point not to let the pending shopping plans or imperfect events of the day, steal your attention away from sincerely approaching God with a thankful heart, not only for all He has done, but all He is doing, all He has yet to do, and all He is and forever will be.
God Bless.
Thankful? Content? (or none of the above?)
Kevin M. Nelson, November 13, 2012
As retail stores push the boundaries to gobble up their piece of the spending pie, another holiday of Godly significance is losing its meaning right before our eyes.
Several of the big players in the retail realm are reportedly pushing to open on Thanksgiving, a day ahead of the chaotic “Black Friday” (when extreme shoppers fight ravenous crowds before dawn), in order to capture some of the sales that have gone to online retailers in recent years.
Most all of us have fallen prey to the indulgences of consumerism at least once or twice,
“Buy it NOW (even though you don’t really need it) and Save 75%!!”
“Buy Two (which is one more than you need, and two more than you can afford) and Get a Third One FREE!!”, and even if it’s an item we don’t need or even want, we just can’t resist getting “stuff” for a great low price, and will justify our purchase every step of the way.
So what’s the big deal, right? We live in a free country. Capitalism keeps the factories cranking and the masses employed. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? After all, sometimes they put really useful things on sale, “stuff” we actually need. Who can afford to pay full-price these days anyway, right?
For those disciplined souls able to achieve perfect balances between frugality and cheapness, diligent forethought and aimless greed, the acquisition of a meaningful bargain can translate into a wise financial decision. But how many of us with the packrat mentality “we’ll need that thing someday” have allowed impulse at the retail level to adversely alter the course of our financial planning?
So long as Satan and his minions roam the earth, so long as it is within our carnal nature to accumulate in fear of lack, and so long as someone somewhere is making the latest and greatest “thing” and offering it for next to nothing (“If You Buy Today [limit one per customer, some restrictions may apply]”), there will always be some greed in our society.
But what is it all costing us?
Beyond the more geo-political implications of dependence on foreign “stuff”, and beyond the accumulation of credit debt, we are slowly losing any meaningful connections to once meaningful holidays. Not only has the desire to give the best gifts of anyone else on Christmas slowly stolen the joy and peace of the season, it has now begun to alter another day originally focused on God- Thanksgiving.
To atheists and agnostics, (and dare I say- many Christians), the fourth Thursday in November has become just about food, family, and planning for Black Friday. What we call “Thanksgiving Day” is becoming nothing more than a well-executed turkey-themed family reunion for the Fall Season. Getting together with family over a nice meal is not a bad thing, but that alone is not thanksgiving.
Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1990: thanksgiving n. 1 a formal expression of thanks to God. 2 [T-] an annual U.S. holiday observed on the fourth Thursday of November.
What many Americans have seemingly forgotten is that definition 2 was originally meant to be forever tied to definition 1.
At best, for some, the day has become about being pleasantly content, or happily satisfied. The word “thankful” might be used, but with no heavenly target in-mind. “I am thankful [to my boss] I have the day off”, “I am thankful [to my wife for saying Yes] to have my wife”, “I am thankful [to myself for being such a great worker] for being employed”. No, people don’t always verbally acknowledge this misdirection of thankfulness, but I would challenge you to observe how many times God is actually acknowledged at your family gathering. As Christians, the Bible tells us that God is the source of our provision. It is not simply a matter of our scheming. It is not simply “luck of the draw” or “Karma” bringing us health and contentment and resource. We owe thanksgiving to God, for all of these things (our family, marriage, job, home...) and our eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.
At worst, for a growing segment of society, it is not even a day about being remotely content. The day begins and ends with griping over how everything isn’t quite perfect, the turkey is dry, the in-laws are late, and the mall will be hell tomorrow. It is a day to make the list and check it twice, while planning the Black Friday shopping routes. Stuff! We need more stuff! Stuff-Mart is going to have that new stuff for next to nothing, but I need to leave right after dinner, or go back at 4 AM!
I hereby stand against the notion that Thanksgiving is a day to be thankful to anyone else but God Almighty. (Hallmark has covered the rest quite adequately). Thanksgiving is not Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, or Boss’s Day. Thanksgiving is not Veterans Day, Memorial Day, or Patriots Day. Thanksgiving is not “Turkey Appreciation Day”, “Native-American Awareness Day”, or “Christmas Shopping Preparation Day”.
So, whether you are planning to navigate the sea of cranky shoppers to save a few bucks, or not, please consider being intentionally mindful of the meaning and purpose of Thanksgiving this year. Make it a point not to let the pending shopping plans or imperfect events of the day, steal your attention away from sincerely approaching God with a thankful heart, not only for all He has done, but all He is doing, all He has yet to do, and all He is and forever will be.
God Bless.