Thankful?
Thankful?
Thankful?
More thoughts about being thankful.
San
Diego
is
a
busy
city.
People
are
on
the
move.
Even
the
street
people,
homeless
of
all
ages,
shapes,
and
skin
color
appear
to
have
somewhere
they
need
to
be.
It
is
not
as
busy
as
other
places
I’ve
been
this
time
of
year
where
tourism
is
a
driving
force
of
the
economy.
Today,
while
others
shop
and
scurry
about
I
have
found
a
mostly
quiet
place
to
sit
and
be
still.
We
are
taking
a
day
to
rest
while
on
holiday.(1)
We
have
learned
that
resting
is
an
important
part
of
time
away
from
routine
work.
Even
when
wanting
to
see
or
do
so
much
we
structure
our
time
as
casually
as
possible
so
we
are
not
so
tired
on
the
plane
ride
home.
It
is
a
change
of
thinking
for
me.
And
I
think
this
is
exactly
what
being
thankful
is:
a
change
in
thinking.
Maybe
this
is
why
we
westerners
only
celebrate
this
once
a
year.
It
has
little
to
do
with
the
Pilgrims
and
Native
Americans,
corn
and
pumpkin
pie,
football
and
black
Friday.(2)
Though
preached
across
the
centuries
it
feels
like
Americans,
specifically,
and
human
beings
in
general
can’t
handle
more
than
one
day
to
be
thankful
as
a
way
of
existence.
Religious
language
calls
this
sin,
attachment,
or
karma.(3)
So,
as
I
have
done
in
the
past
I’m
thinking
about
living
a
thankful,
grateful
life.
Earlier
this
month
I
helped
celebrate
the
life
of
someone
who
I
believe
lived
a
thankful,
grateful
life.
Rev.
Mary
Beth
Guy
was
not
a
saint
of
the
Church.
She
was
a
hard
working,
plain
spoken,
servant
leader
of
the
Church
who
expected
people
to
help
themselves
even
as
they
were
being
helped,
and
to
go
and
do
likewise.
She
worked
to
better
the
quality
of
life
for
the
elderly
in
her
community,
congregation,
and
anyone
that
came
into
her
sphere
of
life.
Mary
Beth
helped
sand
my
rough
edges
when
I
was
fresh
out
of
seminary.
As
I
have
said
or
written
before,
I
am
thankful,
lucky
that
Rev.
Mary
Beth
Guy
and
Rev.
Will
Van
Nostrand
helped
me
learn
ministry
those
first
two
years
out
of
seminary.
But
do
I
live
a
thankful
life.
The
answer
is
mostly
no.
As
much
as
it
would
comfort
me
and
those
that
know
me
to
read
that
I
think
I
live
a
thankful
life,
I
am
aware
that
from
day
to
day
I
don’t
give
being
thankful
much
thought.
I
do
think
I
am
gracious,
a
form
of
grateful,
but
I’m
not
sure
that
has
anything
to
do
with
being
thankful.
Outside
the
hotel
in
San
Diego
the
park
was
home
to
the
houseless,
but
I
didn’t
go
out
and
offer
a
thanksgiving
feast
of
fish
tacos
or
muffins
or
hot
coffee.
I
am
thankful
for
my
companion,
but
did
not
show
compassion
that
day.
There
are
days
that
include
compassion
for
the
less
fortunate.
What
a
nice
way
to
say
poor
or
at
least
poorer
than
I
am
any
given
day.
On
Thanksgiving
day
the
thought
that
floats
in
my
head
is,
“to
whom
much
is
given,
much
is
required.”
The
problem
with
this
phrase
is
the
word
given.
Most
folks
in
my
income
bracket
and
in
close
proximity
on
either
side
don’t
think
or
feel
that
they
have
been
given
anything.
My
parents
are
financially
comfortable
and
would
not
describe
their
situation
as
having
been
‘given’
nor
would
my
mother-in-law
who
lives
much
simpler
than
I
do,
but
would
not
say
she
has
been
given
anything
other
than
another
day
to
enjoy
her
children
and
grand-children
having
survived
cancer
twice
and
a
heart
attack.
So
maybe
the
phrase
is,
“with
great
power
comes
great
responsibility.”
Then
we
must
parse
the
thought
of
power
and
responsibility.
With
economics
comes
a
level
of
power
and
maybe
that
is
where
I
find
myself:
trying
to
understand
the
power
that
I
have
and
what
I
am
to
do
with
it
to
benefit
others.
I
understand
where
I
am
in
the
church
hierarchy,
that
we
claim
to
not
have,
and
what
power
means
in
that
setting.
According
to
all
the
news
reports
since
Friday
last
,
those
with
economic
power
have
taken
care
of
themselves
first
which
is
exactly
what
we
are
told
the
economy
needs.
Shop.
Buy.
Charge.
Consume
electronics,
food,
clothing,
smokes,
booze,
life,
consume.(4)
In
this
technology
revolution,
like
that
of
the
industrial
revolution,
things
change
every
three
to
five
years
and
the
strides
along
the
change
continuium
are
massive.
To
stay
current
means
spending
or
be
left
behind.
What
if
we
applied
that
same
theory
to
learning
or
making
sure
that
everyone
is
pulled
forward
as
we
race
toward
an
unknown
future.
I
want
for
this
post
to
have
more
clarity,
but
can’t
find
a
way
to
end
that
doesn’t
do
what
I
hate
films
to
do.
I
don’t
need
a
ribbon
and
bow
happy
ending.
I
prefer
films
to
end
in
such
a
way
that
asks
me
to
do
the
work.
That
is
probably
why
I
preach,
keynote,
and
write
the
way
I
do.
So,
I’m
thinking
about
being,
living
a
thankful
life.
Good
luck
in
your
search.
Note
1.
I
use
the
term
holiday
intentionally.
Borrowed
from
European
thought
it
best
describes
what
I
do
now
rather
than
vacation.
With
cell
phone
and
laptop
at
the
ready,
my
office
is
always
with
me
which
makes
me
the
worst
kind
of
workaholic
minister
who
unplugs
because
I
wish
it.
I’m
not
getting
away
from
something.
I
am
working
at
a
different
pace
and
indulging
in
time
to
not
work,
but
rather
take
in
the
USS
Midway
museum,
walk
along
the
bay
front,
or
sit
quietly
and
listen
to
my
companion
breathe
while
she
naps.
Time
is
the
indulgence
of
holiday.
On
vacation
time
counts
down
until
you
must
return
to
the
world.
2.
A
strange
though
understandable
term
from
business
life
to
describe
how
the
holiday
season
moves
the
financial
books
from
loss
to
profit.
But
in
our
politically
correct
world
this
seems
an
awkward
term
save
the
fact
that
it
is
one
of
the
few
phrases
that
includes
the
word
black
that
is
meant
to
be
positive.
Is
that
why
it
has
survived
the
what
George
Carlin
calls
the
softening
of
language
to
dehumanize
bad
stuff?
3.
Thanks
to
wikipedia
you
can
easily
locate
the
seven
deadly
sins
as
defined
in
Catholic
church
dogam.
“Listed
in
the
same
order
used
by
both
Pope
Gregory
the
Great
in
the
6th
Century
AD,
and
later
by
Dante
Alighieri
in
his
epic
poem
The
Divine
Comedy,
the
seven
deadly
sins
are
as
follows:
Luxuria
(extravagance,
later
lust),
Gula
(gluttony),
Avaritia
(greed),
Acedia
(sloth),
Ira
(wrath,
more
commonly
known
as
anger),
Invidia
(envy),
and
Superbia
(pride).”
Which
one
of
these
is
not
indulged
on
Thanksgiving
day?
4.
Maybe
this
is
why
foreign
countries
and
terrorists
dislike,
condemn,
hate
Americans.
Have
we
taken
seriously
of
the
phrase
with
great
power
comes
great
responsibility?
Filed Sun - December 2, 2007, 09:31 PM in
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