Thanksgiving Day

Le Jour de l’Action de Grace

Thanksgiving. Thanks. Giving. Giving thanks.

As the name implies, from its earliest celebrations this day in this country has been about GIVING thanks, the action of giving thanks.

It is a good time to pause and count our blessings, to bring to mind the things we are thankful for. But that’s not the stopping point. This holiday is about giving thanks. At a minimum that means giving voice to our thanksgivings. Saying thank you to God, to defenders of liberty, to family members, to those have given us the things we’re thankful for.

But this year Mary Schmich of the Tribune has given me another insight into this holiday. In a recent article she notes the Spanish and French names for this “quintessentially American holiday:”

El dia de acción de gracias. Le jour de l’action de grace. 

Our English composite, smushed together, word “thanksgiving” doesn’t exist in Spanish or French. Thanksgiving becomes acción de gracias or l’action de grace. The day of action of thanks. Or the day of action of grace.

Today is a day to undertake graceful actions. To do things that are grace-filled.

How do we do that?

Maybe one way to start is to begin in those places where we are thankful. And then act upon that thankfulness. Share, nurture, celebrate those things we are thankful for. Many of the meals and gatherings of this day will indeed be grace-filled. Although for many people family gatherings can be fraught. Focus on thankfulness. Seek and share grace. Grace is in these gatherings. Name it; share it.

I saw some grace-filled action earlier this morning. At my neighbor’s across the street, extended family is gathering, undoubtedly to share a feast later today. But this morning, some of them were out raking leaves, including a boy who must be about five, wielding a full-sized rake. With energy, joy and grace. A task that might seem onerous, filled with grace because it was shared, part of the blessing of family.

Start in the places of thanksgiving. If you are thankful for the beauty of creation. Get out in it. Take a grace-filled walk.

At last night’s interfaith community Thanksgiving service, Pastor Claude King asked us to imagine our perfect Thanksgiving. What is your image of a perfect Thanksgiving? What needs to happen for that to be a reality? In your life? In our community? In the world?

Whatever it is that needs to happen… do it. Those will be actions of grace.

Thanksgiving. A day for grace-filled actions.