Today in the United States of America we celebrate Thanksgiving; a holiday whose origins are much like the history of our nation, a paradoxical juxtaposition between the ideology and the reality. Even today when there are those in this great nation who continue to rally around hate against immigrants and refugees; when the legacy of racism continues to permeate so much of our daily lives. When there are homeless people, hungry people and those who are sick and dying.
We can look at all of these problems and make a choice. We can choose to join the crowd that believes the USA is only exceptional when we pretend these problems aren’t real and swagger around telling the world we are great. We can choose to join the crowd that only brings up our troubled past, only see the problems and bemoans what we are doing wrong. Or we can see the things our nation has done wrong in our past, the troubles that still exist today and commit ourselves to facing these problems head on and making the idealogy a reality.
So today I am thankful for freedom and equality; even though we are still not all there yet, the embers are still burning bright and hot. I am thankful for family; the one I was born into, the one I married into, the one my wife Phoebe and I have built together and the extended family we are a part of in Christ, especially those at our home church St John AME. I am thankful for Matthew and the live he and my daughter Courtney share. I am thankful for the young women of Agnes Scott College, especially Lenora, Carmen and Nana Essi who are like my own daughters.
I am thankful for those willing to take an oath to protect and defend this nation with their lives and for those who have given their lives. I am thankful for those who protect and serve. I am thankful for those willing to hold government accountable, whether it is the politicians or law enforcement, it is our government and they answer to us just as we answer to them.
There is so much that I am thankful for I could continue but I will close by saying I am thankful that I am me. No matter the personal problems I may have or the trials and tribulations that life has brought me I rejoice and am thankful for this life and those I have been blessed to love.
So Happy Thanksgiving, may this day bring you peace even if only for a moment and if you are reading this know that I love you.