| by Jonathan Kuttab Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Despite its settler-colonial origins in the history of this country, a history we must always acknowledge and never allow to be forgotten, it remains for me a time to remember how grateful I am for the many blessings God has bestowed upon me and my family. I join with others in this country who are blessed and privileged in acknowledging those blessings as well as the responsibilities that come with them. It is good for me to remember the material benefits of health, security and prosperity, that my needs and those of my family are more than adequately met. I am particularly conscious of this as I think of those who are deprived of these basic needs and who suffer severely both in Palestine and elsewhere. I particularly remember those in Gaza who are deliberately denied the most basic necessities of food, water, shelter, medicine, education, as well as security and safety; those throughout Palestine who are denied freedoms of movement, as well as opportunities for a normal and adequate life for themselves and their families; and those living under oppression and humiliation, denied the safety, security and freedoms we take for granted in this country. Beyond the material blessings for which I am grateful, there are many spiritual blessings I thank God for. Highest among them is the blessing of having meaningful opportunities to help, even in small ways, address the needs of others. At FOSNA we all are blessed with the chance to work for justice, peace and reconciliation, the satisfaction of proclaiming messages of support and solidarity with others, and the joy of acting to influence our churches, institutions, and government to cease supporting oppression, apartheid, and genocide. While our emphasis is on Palestine/Israel, we are also conscious of others, both in this country and in other troubled regions like Sudan and elsewhere, who are suffering and who are denied basic rights and freedoms we enjoy. All of them are God’s children who merit our concern, and they deserve freedom, dignity and human rights. This concern and the opportunity to give and to act to serve others is itself a blessing for which I am grateful, for truly it is more blessed to give than to receive. I remember a millionaire friend, the late Jim Ryan, who once told me wistfully that his brother “did not have the gift of enjoying giving.” He did not say his brother was a selfish miser, but lamented that he was deprived of the joy of giving which he was fortunate to possess! Similarly, it is a blessing for which we need to be grateful, not boastful, that we have the opportunity to act in solidarity and participate in working for a better future for all, to give generously what we can to meet their needs and reduce their suffering. Thanksgiving is also a family holiday where many of us meet and enjoy a sumptuous meal with family members whom we do not always meet during the year, who travel in different circles, and who may have seriously different views than we do, particularly on political issues. This includes Zionism and Palestine. Sometimes the issue is just ignorance and a huge gap in their knowledge, but other times there is an appalling insensitivity to matters that are of vital importance to us. The temptation is always to avoid such difficult discussions and simply enjoy the food and company without talking about “religion or politics.” Yet that also seems like a cop-out. My colleague, Rev. Addie Domske, our national organizer, wrote a very useful and detailed document on how we can have those difficult conversations with those we love. I highly recommend it, and will not try to improve on it. In short, she advises that we speak the truth in love; that we listen as well as speak; that we seek common grounds and values; that we try to share stories, instead of political manifestos; and that we not expect to convince and transform others, but simply to plant seeds and hope for change that may come gradually. Previously, FOSNA also produced a document on having difficult conversations with others specifically on the topic of Christian Zionism. Beyond being thankful for our own blessings and working to meet the needs of others, we also can be grateful for those who provide us with good models of perseverance and resiliency, and for those who show moral courage and steadfastness. I am grateful for journalists, medical workers, relief workers and teachers surviving in Gaza, as I am for Jewish siblings who bravely withstand communal and family displeasure to stand in solidarity with us and call out the evils of apartheid and genocide. Thanks be to God. |
Thanksgiving: Gratitude and Responsibility
