Thanksgiving Beyond Black Friday

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher The San Diego Voice and Viewpoint

First, we give thanks to God for those of us who remember the true spirit of this holiday we call Thanksgiving. While so many of us trace its origins back to 1621, when a few surviving Pilgrims shared a meal with the Native Americans who had helped them survive their first winter in this land, on October 3, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation of Thanksgiving designating the last Thursday in November, with some exceptions, as a day of Thanksgiving.

Fortunately, the majority of Americans not only celebrate the occasion, but also find it in their hearts to share meals and service to others. For this, we are truly thankful. However, the occasion has been commercialized, like all other holidays. And while many are giving to and feeding those among us who are less fortunate, let us also remember the empty chairs at so many family tables as the result of the death of loved ones.

Let us offer prayers for those grieving such losses and let each of us count our blessings beyond the tables of food set before us. There are so many other places we could have been born. There are global conflicts, famine, and hardships that we have been spared. For this and many other reasons, we are blessed.

But let’s not be so thankful that Black Friday becomes more important than the good we have discussed above. The issue is not how much money we will spend on things that we really don’t need, but how wisely we handle our funds. Black Friday is not named after “us”. The word “Black” refers to the profits expected or actually made on that day after Thanksgiving. Being Thankful for our blessings does not mean we have to spend the blessing foolishly. Happy Thanksgiving.