I welcome the opportunity to be thankful! I am glad that a day is set aside to express gratitude. Yet when living in a land of wealth and prosperity, thanksgiving must also include expressions of giving.
Being thankful for abundance if there are others in need turns thanksgiving into a vulgar celebration of selfishness. Thanksgiving must really be an activity of thankful giving, rather than just an expression of giving thanks.
Being thankful without being generous is like being friendly without smiling. The two are interconnected. A smile is an obvious indicator of friendliness. Similarly, generosity is clear evidence of thankfulness. In both cases it is a matter of displaying an action that is aligned with a sentiment.
In fact, there is no better way to deepen a Thanksgiving weekend experience than by participating in activities of gratitude.
Historically Thanksgiving was celebrated as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest. For communities dependent on agricultural success for survival, this seemed like a very appropriate occasion. But in today’s context, with increased awareness and understanding of societal dynamics needing attention, thanksgiving provides an opportunity for rich reflection.
As Canadians grow in their recognition of the settler colonialist history, Thanksgiving can provide an opportunity to reflect on the history of the land. How can you express gratitude to the original stewards of the land? How can you express solidarity with indigenous rights? At a minimum, a good Thanksgiving exercise would be to discover on what treaty you currently reside. You can begin by consulting sites like www.native-land.ca to identify the Indigenous territory in which you live. You can then begin to actively learn about that Indigenous community and determine how to begin building relationships. Thankfulness without expressing a gratitude that helps advance justice for indigenous communities can feel selfish otherwise.
Thanksgiving is also a wonderful opportunity to express appreciation to the Earth. Only a healthy earth will continue to provide a bountiful harvest. An excellent way to convey appreciation for the earth is to learn how you can decrease your carbon footprint. If you are in agriculture support lower-emission, climate-resilient farming practices. Regenerative farming practices like integrated crop-livestock systems, rotational grazing, and cover cropping all serve to reduce emissions, increase resilience, and contribute to food security. Consumers can commit to purchasing local produce whenever possible.
The Earth gives of itself for the survival of all. Any attempt to be thankful without also caring for the Earth is like “biting the hand that feeds you”. To ignore the health of the Earth is to turn away from your own welfare.
If we truly want Thanksgiving to be a spiritual experience where we give thanks to God, then actions of caring for others must truly become an inseparable feature. And solidarity must be framed as a matter of seeking justice rather than an expression of charity. A perspective of charity alone allows the giver to remain detached from the recipient. But when motivated by justice, giving is a matter of redistribution and equity. Generosity is then welcomed as a responsibility, rather than hailed as an act of benevolence.
So, this Thanksgiving, I invite you to some healthy reflection and participation in some joyful action of solidarity. What better way to express thanks than by caring for all that which God has created.
Submitted by Willard Metzger, Executive Director, Citizens for Public Justice