Many of our human family
brothers and sisters from American Indian tribes find concern that Thanksgiving
and Americans in general are founded upon the conquest of the tribes in the
Americas.
From a Christian perspective,
the Gospel was always destined for islands, continents and new lands across the
globe. Jesus commanded, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." Mark
16:15
Thus, America was not the
only place Christianity took root. The Faith spread to China, Japan and remote
islands, to the ends of the earth.
Although it would have been humanly ideal to protect the "Mother
Earth" faith and spirits of native tribes, it was not in God's plan for
the earth. Before Christianity, native tribes, Nordic tribes, Druid tribes,
etc. also had a rich tradition of human sacrifice, the killing of children,
virgins and foes. Roman and Greek gods
had to be conquered too, fueled by evil spirits, torture and crucifixions.
So when it comes to
celebrating Thanksgiving, well, the Bible tells us that God does not look on
the external as humans do. But rather, God looks upon the heart.
Unfortunately, current
generations for example, many do not know what barley is and they do not write
script, let alone have knowledge that first Thanksgiving was about killing
natives. Actually, should a person celebrate Thanksgiving in God's favor, in
the heart, that is good enough for God.
In all reality though,
beginning in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln risked his life to free slaves in
America. He thus encouraged Americans to recognize the last Thursday of
November as “a day of Thanksgiving” for all, slave and free. Prior to the Civil
War and the freedom of slaves by President Lincoln, Thanksgiving was not
celebrated across the country. It was a
President Lincoln thing, a hero of human rights.
At Thanksgiving and
throughout the year, our Lord encourages us to find commonality, not division.
In fact, Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be
called the children of God." Matthew 5:9 Now that's something for
Thanksgiving.
Photo - Saint Kateri
Tekakwitha is the first Native American to be recognized as a saint by the
Catholic Church. She was born in 1656, in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon.
Many miracles were attributed to her while she was alive and after her death.
