Cal Thomas: Thankful to whom and for what?
In a thought-provoking reflection on the changing landscape of gratitude and holiday traditions, commentator Cal Thomas critiques the modern responses to expressions of thanks, particularly in service settings. He highlights a growing trend, especially among younger generations, where the traditional response of “you’re welcome” has been supplanted by the phrase “no problem.” This shift raises questions about the cultural significance of gratitude and the implications of framing a simple act of kindness as a potential inconvenience. Thomas suggests that this trend reflects a broader societal issue, where the essence of Thanksgiving—a holiday rooted in gratitude and reflection—has become overshadowed by the commercial frenzy of the Christmas season.
Thomas delves into the historical context of Thanksgiving, noting its origins with the Pilgrims, who expressed gratitude to God for their blessings despite facing significant hardships. He points out that it wasn’t until President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation that Thanksgiving was established as a national holiday, emphasizing the importance of recognizing divine blessings even amidst national turmoil, such as the Civil War. Lincoln’s call for penitence and acknowledgment of America’s “national perverseness” stands in stark contrast to the contemporary approach to Thanksgiving, which often prioritizes consumerism over contemplation. By recalling Lincoln’s message, Thomas urges readers to reconsider the true meaning of Thanksgiving and the importance of humility and repentance in a time when societal values seem increasingly misaligned with the holiday’s original intent.
As the holiday season approaches, Thomas advocates for a return to the foundational principles of Thanksgiving—gratitude, reflection, and humility. He suggests that as families gather around their tables, they should not only celebrate their blessings but also engage in a spirit of repentance for the moral failings that permeate society. By doing so, he argues, individuals can restore a sense of purpose to the holiday, transforming it from a mere prelude to Christmas consumerism into a meaningful observance of thankfulness and introspection. In this way, he proposes that a “heaping serving of humble pie” should be included in today’s Thanksgiving menu, encouraging a deeper connection to the spiritual and historical roots of the celebration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewmefM76XfU
Among my growing list of improper uses of the English language is the response I get when telling a restaurant server or anyone else “thank you.” The usual response has been for as long as I remember, “you’re welcome.” For the young, especially, it has become “no problem.”
Why would thanking someone for a service or kindness performed be considered a problem? What does that even mean?
Thanksgiving, which mythically began when the Pilgrims and early settlers thanked God for His “many blessings,” despite their difficult circumstances, is now a small bump in the road on the way to the annual conspicuous consumption called Christmas. The airlines are thankful because of heavy travel that leads to large profits. Thanksgiving, as well as approaching Christmas, have lost their unique status – at least among secularist marketers – and have now been blended into “the holidays.” That’s a problem.
There once was a time – and I still remember it – when most of the Christmas rush began after Thanksgiving. Now we have Black Friday beginning in some TV ads before Halloween. Thanksgiving has taken a back seat to Christmas commercialism. It is now a one-day stuffing, not just of the turkey, but of ourselves, plus a couple of football games.
While the early settlers and Pilgrims were known for thanking God for His blessings, it wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday. In his
proclamation
declaring the last Thursday in November a day of thanksgiving, Lincoln said this about the blessings Americans had received:
“To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and even soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.”
The proclamation was issued after the Battle of Gettysburg, a bloody conflict in the Civil War, a war which was still not over. If a nation in the midst of such a great internal struggle could find things to be thankful for, what about us? In our rush to consume, do we any longer regard God as the source of our undeserved blessings?
Something even more profound came later in the proclamation. Speaking to his fellow citizens, Lincoln wrote:
“I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience.”
When was the last time you heard a national leader recommend penitence? The scriptures are clear … nothing gets God’s attention quite like repentance. It is then His mercy flows. When he first ran for president in 2016, I asked Donald Trump if he had ever felt the need to ask for forgiveness, or repent. He said “No. Perhaps someday I will.”
God once said for the sake of 10 righteous people He would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Like the people in those ancient cities, we have many sins for which we should repent. I’m not exactly sure how God will respond as His people pray – seeking His forgiveness for our national sins. But I do know that it is an appropriate attitude as we gather, and a long-standing tradition to reintroduce around our table.
Perhaps a heaping serving of humble pie should also be on today’s Thanksgiving menu.
Readers may email Cal Thomas at
tcaeditors@tribpub.com
. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).
