Cicero was quoted on the radio the other day as saying, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” I think that there is a lot of truth to that.
While we should thankful throughout the year, Thanksgiving is a special time of opportunity to give thanks and enjoy a few of the blessings God has given us in the US throughout the year. It is an opportunity to gather with friends and family and give thanks together. It is an opportunity to come together as a nation and give thanks together.
Will we fall short of the ideal? I’m sure we will. Let’s keep in mind we can truly only control ourselves (and if you’re like me, you don’t do that very well, either). It starts with us. As the saying goes, it starts at home.
Abraham bargained with God in Genesis 18. Would God destroy Sodom if there were 50 righteous there? 45? 40? 30? Abraham dared to bargain down to 10. Of course, I say “bargain” with a grain of salt. After all, what did Abraham really have to bargain with? I don’t want to get too hung up on that, but maybe another day.
Some preachers and commentators concentrate on whether or not God changed His mind here that I think they lose an important aspect of the story. God was not requiring 100% of the city to be righteous. God was not requiring the majority to be righteous. God was not requiring half to be righteous. God would have relented for ten (10) righteous people! Even in a small town of 10,000 people, that would only be 0.1%!
It is our Christian duty to be thankful. It is also a patriotic duty. We don’t have to agree with how the majority live their lives. In fact, we should know that we never will in this lifetime. It is our duty to live a life worth living, however, and thankfulness is a huge part in this.
So, whatever your circumstances this year, be thankful.
I’m going to take a couple of days off from blogging to take care of other matters. I plan to crank it back up this Sunday with the weekly Reflections article. I wish everyone in the US a blessed Thanksgiving, and everyone everywhere an even more blessed Sabbath day this week.
First of all, may God bless you with a peaceful and joyous Thanksgiving.
Second: you must have heard Cicero on public radio. I can't imagine someone along the lines of Beck/Limbaugh or Sharpton/Baesden quoting him.