Cal Thomas: Thankful to whom and for what?
In a thought-provoking commentary, Cal Thomas reflects on the evolving nature of gratitude and the significance of Thanksgiving in contemporary society. He notes a troubling trend in the responses to expressions of thanks, particularly the shift from the traditional “you’re welcome” to the more casual “no problem.” This change raises questions about the essence of gratitude and its implications in daily interactions. Thomas draws a parallel between this linguistic shift and the commercialization of Thanksgiving, which has increasingly become overshadowed by the Christmas season. He highlights how the holiday, once a time for sincere reflection and appreciation, has been reduced to a mere prelude to consumerism, with Black Friday sales starting as early as Halloween.
Delving into the historical roots of Thanksgiving, Thomas recalls President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation that established the holiday as a national observance. In the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln urged Americans to recognize their blessings and acknowledge the divine source of those gifts. He emphasized the importance of humility and penitence, suggesting that true thankfulness includes a recognition of one’s shortcomings and a desire for forgiveness. Thomas laments the absence of such sentiments in modern discourse, particularly among national leaders, and calls for a return to the spirit of repentance and gratitude. He posits that as Americans gather to celebrate Thanksgiving, they should not only express thanks but also reflect on their collective moral standing, perhaps even serving a metaphorical “heaping serving of humble pie” at their tables. Through this reflection, Thomas invites readers to consider the deeper meaning of gratitude in a world increasingly focused on material gain.
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).
