The Thanksgiving for Gives and Takes (Blessed be!)

Last updated on: November 26, 2019 at 12:47 am by John Mark N. Reynolds

The Thanksgiving for Gives and Takes (Blessed be!) 2019-11-26T00:47:00-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Thankfulness at a moment of loss seems odd. Am I glad for death, pain, or suffering?

No.

These things exist, because we and the devils have chosen badly. As a result, the cosmos is not what it should be. In the interconnected cosmos, even one error sets loose ripples, distorts and twists what was so beautiful that even the faintest hint of ugliness, hatred, or evil mars utterly what was and should be.

Thank God, however, that the divine craftsman built well. The joy is fundamental and so even in the despoiling of the cosmos good can come. The cosmos is well engineered and builds toward life. There is hope leading to faith fueled by love that over time takes each ugly error and brings truth. All ugliness is subsumed and made part of beauty, the sour note becoming a crush note in a greater composition.

The great cosmic plan endures and slowly the love takes the death, pain, suffering and gives them meaning. This does not occur immediately, nor does the sinfulness of sin change, but the meaning is changed. God works slowly, because God is gentle. The best news is that our merciful God is all powerful and so nothing is lost that should be found, forgotten that needs recollecting, or dead in the face of God’s life.

I am thankful then for the gifts God gives. Every laugh, all the jollifications, each moment of joy is directly from God. They are what should be and often is. I am thankful for the good work of God in the “taking.” Humanity has done what humanity has done and God will not obliterate the truth of our blood stained record. Instead, Divine Love, perfect holiness, does not hide the truth of our evils, Wounded Knee, Auschwitz, the abortion clinic on the corner, but instead subsumes all we have done in justice.

There will be justice for the victims of Stalin’s gulags, justice for the slaves of antebellum Alabama, justice for the victims of Armenian genocide. Justice was, is, and will be and so there must be a going from this broken world. We must bear our family and friends going hence, because otherwise the good that is coming could not come.

Death is a mercy and a foe. Death is a mercy, because otherwise we would be stuck in this present reality where nothing is so good that it cannot be corrupted. Death is a foe, because death defies the fundamental truth that life conquers. We love life and death, cruel, ugly death, has been turned by the good God into a doorway to life.

Death is swallowed up in life, ugliness turned to a mere contrast to harmonious beauty, and the lies of the world, the flesh, and devils, made to highlight the eternal truth of the cosmos, the spirit, and angels. Glory be! Blessed be! Happy is the person who knows that nothing can stop love.

Job, a man inflicted by evil, understood. He mourned. He faced evil and yet knew happiness was coming for whosever will:

20Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21And he said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Apologetics

Spiritual Reflections

Previous Post

November 24, 2019

Some of Phil’s Last Reflections

Next Post

November 26, 2019 An Insufferable Guide to Dealing with the Insufferable at Thanksgiving

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "Ichabod" mean?

Select your answer to see how you score.

No glory God's gift Blessed son Holy child

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »