A week of holiday burdens or opportunities

Among the most powerful and universal concepts in human culture is “gratitude.” It finds expression in multiple languages, societies, symbolic acts and rituals.

It is part of the spiritual “glue” that holds our human family together. It begins perhaps with the wide-eyed stare of the nursing infant at the breast just before she drifts off to sleep, or maybe with the gift of a story or a cave painting in thanks for a place at a Neolithic campfire. Or maybe the roots of gratitude predate humanity itself, being seen in the breaching of a whale from the ocean, the friskiness of a colt on a spring morning, the purring of a kitten, or the wild howl of a wolf at the moon.

Gratitude is deep within us and solidly “sistered” to the feeling of awe that comes when one is confronted with the vastness of the universe, earthly grandeur or the intricacies of spider webs, fingerprints or powerful emotion. Put a man, woman or child in the presence of that which is infinite, beautiful or moving, and gratitude – bidden or not – will well up within each one.

The poet of Psalm 19 proclaims that the heavens are “telling the glory of God,” reminding me of last week’s northern lights display and of the bright green meteor my son and I saw explode over the North Maine Woods last winter.

St. Paul, finding his sight restored and his body cared for by his former enemies, the Christians, also marveled at the mysterious ways of God. Isaiah was stunned to silence by a vision of God’s vastness and power. Folks of different religious persuasions have for centuries clashed over doctrinal differences, social agendas and the organization of our faith communities. Nonetheless, all have held in common a sense of religious awe and thanksgiving.

The giving of thanks will occupy us in different ways this season. Some will do good works at soup kitchens or community suppers. Some will make time for a quiet hour in prayer or walk along their favorite forested path mindful of God’s presence. Some will invest themselves into preparing a dinner for family or friends. Some will use time off from work to reconnect with children or spouse or other loved ones. The point is perhaps not what we do but rather our awareness of God and our gratitude while we do it. After all, each of these activities can be either a burden or an opportunity – the choice is ours.

The Rule of St. Benedict, the pattern of life for many of the world’s monastic communities, urges the person of faith not to lose sight of God and gratitude in the midst of everyday or seasonal activities. A Benedictine sister, Joan Chittister, comments on the Rule that “there is to be no time, no thing, that absorbs us so much that we lose contact with the God of life; no stress so tension-producing, no burden so complex, no work so exhausting that God is not our greatest agenda, our constant companion, our rest and our refuge” (“The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages,” chapter 16).

Perhaps these are words to carry with us into the hectic days that await us. We are invited to inquire of each holiday task whether it is a joyful opportunity for thanks and celebration or a burden which will distract us from praise and prayer. Perhaps we are also invited to some painful pruning of our yearly “busy-ness” in favor of personal relationships, private devotion and public worship.

May your thankfulness be life-transforming this year, and may you enjoy the company of those you love in these holy days.

The Rev. Thomas L. Blackstone, Ph.D., is a United Methodist pastor in Presque Isle and a brother at the Order of St. Luke. He may be reached via tlbphd@yahoo.com. Voices is a weekly commentary by five Maine columnists who explore issues affecting spirituality and religious life.