With Thanksgiving approaching our thoughts turn to gratitude
American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.”
Emerson’s words may seem odd given bumper stickers proclaiming, “Gratitude is my attitude.” An attitude—mindset, mood, or sentiment—can change instantly and gratitude disappears. If gratitude is erected on so fickle a foundation, building a life of thankfulness is well nigh impossible. Emerson points us in a different direction, that gratitude is more than a feeling, but a practice. It’s more than something we emotionally conjure, but something we can actively construct.
Since eating is a daily practice and part of Thanksgiving, we can become more mindful of blessings through simple practices. In preparing meals, what are the originating countries for the food and beverages on our table? Say a prayer of thanks to those who planted and grew, fed and milked, cultivated and harvested, packed and shipped, stocked and sold the gifts that feed us daily. Ask blessings for every hand, family, community, state, and nation they passed through to our home. Give thanks to our Creator for an abundant creation providing for our daily needs.
Gift-giving is exemplified in the indigenous practice of “potlatch.” This was a gift-giving feast practiced throughout Pacific Northwest coastal peoples. Leaders gave gifts to friends and neighbors, competing with one another in generosity. Status increased not by storing resources but sharing them. Europeans viewed such as unproductive and against civilized accumulation.
- How might we practice and make a habit of gratitude beyond meals?
- How might we express gratitude to others?
- How can we embody countercultural and competitive generosity?
Rev. Dr. Sybrant serves at Murray Hills Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). For more info, visit us at 15050 SW Weir Road, Beaverton. www.murrayhills.org | 503-524-5230
