Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Synapses of the Soul

Home
Catholic
Four British Gifts for Thanksgiving

Four British Gifts for Thanksgiving

Last updated on: March 5, 2021 at 7:02 am by Synapses of the Soul

Four British Gifts for Thanksgiving 2021-03-05T07:02:13-06:00 Synapses of the Soul

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.

I have two problems with how we celebrate Thanksgiving. First, we often treat it as an isolated event that is both stripped of its historical context and separate from the rest of our own selfish and ungrateful existence. Second, the increasing commercialization of the holiday has turned it into a feast of avarice, in which we pay our respects at the altar of Capitalism with a day of frantic shopping.

Thanksgiving is much too important to be celebrated this way. Why? First, because neuroscience and psychology tell us that a disposition of gratitude is essential to a healthy brain and a fulfilling life. But on an even deeper level, because thanksgiving — the practice of gratitude — is arguably the substratum of human life.

The essential truth of our life is this: we are radically dependent. None of us created our own being, or brought ourselves out of the void. None of us sustain our own lives in existence. And none of us are in control of what the future holds. We are radically dependent.

To recognize one’s dependence is an earth-shattering act. It destroys the myth of self-creation and self-sufficiency. It raises a host of questions that disrupt one’s ordinary life and awaken the desires of one’s heart. So our culture flees this recognition, out of fear of the paralysis it might bring.

But the realization of dependence should not paralyze us. It should drive us to give thanks. As my former professor John C. Cavadini explains, gratitude is the only appropriate response to one’s life. The human vocation is to respond with humility to the inestimable gifts of our existence and our salvation. Our vocation is to forget ourselves in gratitude, and offer our lives as a return-gift to the One who created and redeemed us.

It’s not easy to live with this disposition, or we’d all be saints on earth. So here are four gifts to help you celebrate this Thanksgiving with gratitude, from my favourite Brits (wink).

1. C.S. Lewis’ Letter 15 from The Screwtape Letters, here

One of the subversive characteristics of gratitude is that it’s not inherently future-oriented. No, it turns your gaze to the past and present, and makes you attentive to the gifts you have received. An orientation to the present — to being kind, happy, grateful now — has the power to transform your life. C.S. Lewis (who was once a fellow at my college at Cambridge!) captures this dynamic in Letter 15 from his work The Screwtape Letters.

2. A podcast episode with Lady Jane Williams on gentleness, here.

Lady Williams is perhaps better known as the wife of Rowan Williams, but she is an incredible theologian her own right. In this podcast, she speaks about gentleness as the result of being so securely rooted in your own identity that you don’t need validation from others. What does this have to do with gratitude? When you wonder at the beautiful life you have been given, you don’t need to see others as threats or competition. You can meet them with loving kindness and be grateful for their presence. This is radically countercultural and reveals a deep strength.

3. JRR Tolkien’s character of Gollum, here.

This probably isn’t what you expected, but hear me out for a second. If human life is fulfilled through that true humility which is gratitude, then pride should make us less human. Gollum shows us what it means to reject our vocation to gratitude. We become a shade.

4. St. John Henry Newman’s poem “A Thanksgiving,” found here.

Newman’s poem is provocative. Can we accept even hard things as gifts from God? He tells us: “Yes! let the fragrant scars abide, / Love-tokens in Thy stead, / Faint shadows of the spear-pierced side / And thorn-encompass’d head.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

To receive updates on my writing, click here to join my mailing list.

About Synapses of the Soul

You can contact Sofia at [email protected]. You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

November 7, 2019

You Could Die Anytime (When Breath Becomes Air)

Next Post

December 20, 2019 The Science and Spirituality of Good Humor

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Monthly Roundup Series: Habits Uncategorized

Select a Month November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. I am unstable in all my ways. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

An unbeliever A doubter A hypocrite A sinner