A Unified Thanksgiving

Going to have to be a brief post - I just finished carving pork loin and country ham and they will need me to bring those things to Thanksgiving dinner. Although...there will also be turkey, city ham (that would be non-cured ham...in this case a spiral honey ham!), sausage balls, 7 or 8 dozen rolls, yam souffle (?), green bean casserole, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy and my sister Susan's potatoes with bacon, cheddar and ranch. I'm not completely convinced that the proteins here will be missed.

We are incredibly fortunate. Our large family not only has the means to gather together this feast - we also still have the desire to gather together for it! I have read with some sadness, amusement and wondering various Facebook friends who are dreading the family meals today. Apparently some folks don't bring their manners and gratefulness to dinner. I could never imagine criticizing a meal when a guest in someone's home. But it happens.

And I have friends who don't even know what state some of their family lives. Or how many kids they have. Or what they do for a living. I admit sometimes it isn't always a positive thing how involved my siblings are in each other's lives. At times it can seem nosy and intrusive...but it comes from a place of love...and I need to remember that more often.

I went this morning to the annual Inter-faith Thanksgiving Service - this year hosted by Agudath Sholom. Eight faith communities joined together to worship and remember how very fortunate we are. Part of that service was a reminder that we have a God-given responsibility to care for each other.

We hear a lot in the news about the 99% and the 1%. And although in the United States, I'm clearly NOT a part of the 1%...there is a tool that helps you figure out on a global scale how rich you are. When I plug my salary (thanks be to God I have a job!) into the calculator I find that globally I am in the top 4%. That is a stunning reminder.

One of the greatest aspects of the service this morning was how such a diverse group of people can come together - to worship together! Besides the Jewish community that hosted us, and the Methodists of Centenary UMC, there were also leaders and congregants from Church of the Covenant, First Christian Church, First Unitarian Church, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Peakland Baptist Church and the Muslim community.

We weren't focused on our differences - we focused on our similarities. As the Rev. Boothby of First Unitarian said this morning, "We don't have to believe the same to love the same." I can't argue with that.

Happy Thanksgiving! Call that person you are sorry you lost touch with. I don't know if it is your brother or sister or uncle or mother...but I do know you need to call.

Love each other.