November 25, 2004
Thanks
A story is told of a not altogether very saintly man who donned the mask of a saint in order to woo and win the truly saintly woman he loved. Years later when his ruse was discovered, he was challenged to show his face. When he removed his mask, he discovered that his face had, indeed, been saved to become the face of a saint.
This new national time of thanksgiving comes in a national time of crisis. Our remarkable system for governing and living together is crippled almost beyond belief, apparently to a degree that none of our founders ever anticipated. Whatever our political persuasion, there’s enough anxiety for everyone and no immediate sign of its passing whichever way things might go, however they might be resolved. Our anxiety makes it an easy time in which to forget to be thankful.
But Jesus said, “Do not be anxious… ” about life or security or sustenance. You don’t find anxiety anywhere in the rest of God’s creation, so where does it get you to be anxious? Well, we must say if we’re honest, nowhere, save maybe to the pharmacist for Prozac. And even that doesn’t help all that much.
Every Sunday in the churches, we reenact the Last Supper. We call it Eucharist, thanksgiving. One reason we call it that is because at that supper, Jesus gave thanks, and on our part, we Christians have nothing for which to be more thankful. For it is not only our giving thanks to God here and especially at this season, but even more importantly, our receiving thanks from God here consciously every time we surround this altar. That’s the miracle of saying grace (and saving face) that makes all the difference.