 |
| Thanksgiving turkey |
Let's face it, as a longstanding American holiday, Thanksgiving is losing more of its traditional significance with each passing generation. To put it bluntly, Americans nowadays don't look at this special day with the same reverence and respect that their parents and their grandparents and earlier generations did. It seems we've lost
the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
 |
| A Thanksgiving Day tradition |
As a child growing up in my mother's house, I remember Thanksgiving much differently from what I see taking place in America today. In earlier times, Thanksgiving meant a time of spiritual reflection and thankfulness to God for bringing our family through the struggles of the past months. We said prayers of thanksgiving to God acknowledging the fact that we could not have made it without His help. Back then, Americans were on one accord in expressing gratitude to God for blessing our land. And while Thanksgiving has distinctly Christian origins, a grateful nation embraced it as
a national holiday by Proclamation of President Lincoln in 1863.
But all that seems to have changed. We're no longer as thankful or as grateful a nation as we once were. Thanksgiving celebrations are far from what the first Pilgrims in America had envisioned that first Thanksgiving at Plymouth, Massachusetts with their Native American benefactors. Fast forward to the present day, and Thanksgiving is about everything but giving thanks. A decision by several major U.S. retailers, including Walmart and Target, to open their doors on Thanksgiving to early
Black Friday shoppers is evidence of this.
For most of us, Thanksgiving is about family, feasting, and football—approximately in that order. If we think about God at all, it usually involves saying a few simple pre-turkey-carving prayers of thanksgiving for His blessings during the year which is now fast ebbing away. - Mary E. Marshall, president, Peter Marshall Ministries
The Christian beliefs and traditions that birthed Thanksgiving have been questioned, attacked and maligned by anti-Christian forces whose ultimate goal is to remove
the God of the Bible from our national life. To our shame, freedom of religion is quickly turning into freedom from religion.
We have lost sight of who we are as a nation and of the God brought us to where we are. If we are truly "not just a Christian nation" then who are we?
America is now a melting pot of many religions following after many gods, which may be the reason Thanksgiving is no longer celebrated in the U.S. the way it once was.
God help us.
Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good; his love is eternal.
Give thanks to the greatest of all gods; his love is eternal.
Give thanks to the mightiest of all lords; his love is eternal. Psalm 136:1-3 GNT
 |
| If my people who are called by my name...2 Chronicles 7:14 |
