Some Thanksgiving Thoughts

This week is a bit odd for me. Part of my work time has been about preparing for the Thanksgiving Eve service on Wednesday night and part of it has been about getting ready for Sunday and the start of new series from John 1 for Advent. Yet I have also been asked to take part in a discussion about physician assisted suicide, and probably like many of you, I was deeply saddened to hear the protests in Ferguson turned destructive. We are living in a context that is dark, which means distress and gloom of anguish are around us. That is a very sad and even disturbing thought, especially as we prepare for Thanksgiving and anticipate Christmas. And yet, maybe that thought brings Thanksgiving and Christmas into focus. The Lord Jesus did not come to earth because everything was rosy and bright. He came because we desperately need Him to be the Light of the world. Our world needs the reality of Christmas.

But what about Thanksgiving? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 states, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” How can we give thanks when businesses are burning and people are looting? Please note carefully that we are not called to give thanks for all circumstances, but rather in all circumstances. How can we do that? Perhaps Christmas, the coming of the Lord Jesus can be the spark for our giving of thanks. Even though circumstances are not great, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. He sent His Son for us, and part of the Son coming, dying, rising again, and returning to heaven leads to His soon return to earth to put all things in subjection (1 Corinthians 15:24-28). We can give thanks because God’s past actions on behalf of His people provide confident hope that He will complete His plan and as Revelation 22:5 tells us, night will be no more. Darkness and that all comes with darkness will be done. The Lord God will our light. Let us give thanks because the God of Christmas calls us out of darkness and into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).