Thanksgiving Day in the US, while not a religious holiday, does have religious overtones. In fact, I believe that thanksgiving, gratitude, is one of the foundation stones of a spiritual life. The other, surprisingly, is freedom. I came to this understanding doing a retreat at Auburn University. I asked “when did you feel the love of God in a particular way.” One man told of a time his dog got hit by a car but eventually recovered. “I knew God loved me then,” he said. I thought at the time: If the dog had died would that have meant God didn’t love you? Freedom is the flip side of gratitude because God is with us both in the positive and the negative things. Jesus was just as much the Son of God on the cross as he was at the Resurrection. We need to freedom to be grateful both when the doctor says “you’re cured” and when she says, “you need an operation.” We need the freedom to be grateful both when we win the lottery and when the bill collectors are beating at the door. No matter what, God is with us so, of course, what else can we do but offer thanks.
