This Thursday is Thanksgiving, a time to reflect and give thanks for our lives individually, as families, and as Americans. Yet giving thanks does not mean ignoring the very real pains and tragedies of life. The killings at universities in Virginia and Idaho and the horrific hate based mass shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs are just recent examples of pain that will impact hundreds of people for the rest of their lives. In addition to these examples of mass violence, the ongoing realities of racism, domestic abuse, homophobia, and poverty cause pain to millions of people every day. How can we give thanks in the face of such pain? The life and words of Martin Luther King, Jr. provide a context for thanksgiving that is helpful to me, because he faced the very real kinds of pain just mentioned and still maintained a spirit of gratitude and love. In an essay titled “A Testament of Hope” that was published after his death, Dr. King wrote the following words that I want to share with you as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving:
People are often surprised to learn that I am an optimist. They know how often I have been jailed, how frequently the days and nights have been filled with frustration and sorrow, how bitter and dangerous are my adversaries. They expect these experiences to harden me into a grim and desperate man. They fail, however, to perceive the sense of affirmation generated by the challenge of embracing struggle and surmounting obstacles. They have no comprehension of the strength that comes from faith in God and man. It is possible for me to falter, but I am profoundly secure in my knowledge that God loves us; he has not worked out a design for our failure.
Giving thanks in the face of pain is possible, because we are not alone in our pain. God promises to be with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit and the compassion of others who love us. That does not deny the depth of pain but provides a way to live constructively with the pain. In the video posted below, Dr. King speaks in even greater detail about the sustaining presence of God in the face of pain and tragedy. I invite you to listen to his words and share them with others. It is a resource to celebrate Thanksgiving in the face of painful realities.