Thanksgiving, once a sacred occasion for Americans to humbly reflect on God’s blessings, has been steadily diluted into yet another secularized celebration of consumerism and vague platitudes. What began as a solemn proclamation by Abraham Lincoln in 1863—a call for “thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens”—has morphed into little more than a prelude to “Black Friday” brawls and empty gestures of “gratitude.”
Gone are the days when Thanksgiving was genuinely about giving thanks to the Almighty for His providence and mercy. Now, in true woke fashion, many prefer to chalk up their good fortune to luck, “the universe,” or some equally nebulous force. May The Force be with you, indeed.
Thanksgiving: From Lincoln to Lunacy
President Lincoln’s Thanksgiving proclamation, issued during the darkest days of the Civil War, wasn’t just about gratitude—it was a call for humility and acknowledgment of America’s moral failings. Lincoln urged the nation to engage in “humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience.” Imagine suggesting that kind of introspection in today’s self-obsessed culture!
Even during times of strife, American leaders upheld the spirit of Thanksgiving. In 1939, amid the Great Depression and the looming specter of World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt reminded Americans to give thanks to the “Ruler of the Universe” for the strength and hope to endure. Yes, even FDR, a man the left adores for expanding government, had the good sense to recognize the Almighty’s role in guiding the nation.
Contrast that with today’s leaders, who can barely get through a holiday proclamation without bending over backward to avoid mentioning God. Instead, we’re left with hollow nods to “togetherness” and “thankfulness” without ever specifying who, exactly, we’re thanking.
The First Thanksgiving: Myth, Misinterpretation, and Woke Revisionism
Modern narratives around Thanksgiving have become a battleground for revisionist historians eager to discredit America’s founding principles. The left loves to remind us that many of the cherished Thanksgiving traditions we hold dear are based on myths. Well, no one’s disputing that the holiday’s origins are a blend of history and legend, but why do liberals always miss the point?
The Museum Gallery Archive notes that the first Thanksgiving in 1619 was a religious event marked by fasting, not feasting. That’s right, it wasn’t about turkey, football, or sales on big-screen TVs. The Puritans were thanking God for their safe arrival, not congratulating themselves on their resourcefulness or inventing ways to “decolonize” their dinner tables.
But today’s progressives want to cancel Thanksgiving altogether, arguing that it’s a celebration of colonialism. Never mind the fact that it was about survival, faith, and gratitude—values that are apparently far too “problematic” for the woke crowd.
Black Friday: Capitalism Wins, but Reflection Loses
If Thanksgiving was once a day to pause and reflect, it’s now merely the starting gun for a month-long orgy of consumerism. Roosevelt himself declared Thanksgiving would fall on the fourth Thursday of November to extend the Christmas shopping season, hoping to boost the economy during the Great Depression.
Fast-forward to today, and we’ve got “Black Friday” starting in October. Retailers shove sales down our throats earlier every year, making Thanksgiving little more than a fleeting footnote before the onslaught of Christmas commerce.
The Opportunity for Renewal
Yet, amid this chaos, Thanksgiving still holds the potential for renewal—for those willing to embrace it. In a year rife with political division, economic uncertainty, and cultural insanity, pausing to give thanks is more critical than ever.
Thanksgiving offers a rare opportunity to turn away from the toxicity of politics and refocus on the eternal. It’s a chance to acknowledge our blessings, seek forgiveness, and give credit where it’s due—to God, not to “luck” or the latest social trend.
As Lincoln understood, true gratitude requires humility. It means recognizing that we are not the masters of our fate but are instead dependent on God’s mercy and grace. It’s a lesson America desperately needs to relearn.
Healing the Wounds of Division
This year’s Thanksgiving comes on the heels of yet another divisive political season, one that has fractured friendships, families, and even churches. What better time to set aside our grievances and focus on what unites us?
But unity requires more than vague calls for “togetherness.” It requires humility, forgiveness, and a willingness to admit that we’ve lost our way. It requires turning back to the values that once made Thanksgiving a cornerstone of American life: faith, family, and gratitude to God.
A Time to Reflect
Let’s not let Thanksgiving become just another victim of our modern, hollow culture. Instead, let it be a day of genuine reflection—a day to acknowledge our blessings, seek reconciliation, and turn our hearts toward the One who holds all things in His hands.
And let’s not forget: Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday. It’s a reminder of who we are as a nation and who we are called to be. May we rise to the occasion.
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